The Son of the Fire Lord
by AeolusTheWindGod
Summary: What if Fire Lord Izumi had a second, younger son? What if that son was sent to the South Pole to train with Avatar Korra? What if this hypothetical Son of the Firelord were to accompany Korra to Republic City? This story follows the events of the show, with the addition of one new character- the Son of the Fire Lord. (rated T for potential swearing/violence)
1. Chapter 1

In the Southern Water Tribe Capital City, a biweekly boat from Republic City was arriving. The boat arrived at precisely noon at the end of every other week, delivering cargo, mail, and passengers and collecting cargo, mail, and passengers two times a month every month, weather permitting. It had done so for years now, so that it was now part of the routine for those that lived amongst the ice and snow of the South Pole. Some looked forward to it- either expecting letters or packages from friends or family living in the north or elsewhere in the world, or eagerly awaiting the shipments of various goods that were an integral part of the growing tribe's economy.

In addition to these material exports and imports, there tended to be cargo of the human kind aboard the ships- never a large amount of people, mostly just those who were unable to wait for the passenger liners that made far less consistent journeys south, with some making the trip aboard the standard cargo vessel to avoid the pricey fare associated with higher end people-transporting ships.

The boat was owned and operated by one Captain Rikkan, an older Water Tribe man who took great pride in the famed punctuality and speed of his vessel. He seemed to those around him almost like a caricature of a seasoned sailor- with a great bushy grey beard, a proud captain's hat, a long coat and a carved pipe made from the rib bone of an elephant koi. He was a harsh but fair man, subjecting himself to the same rules he expected his crew to follow and lived a simple life with no wife or children. Today the captain was going through the final motions of his biweekly voyage, calling out orders to a number of seasoned crewmen and making the last preparations that were necessary before they arrived at the harbor.

It was a routine trip, one that every crewmember aboard Rikkan's ship was familiar with, and as the mighty vessel pulled into the icy port, a figure clambered up the stairs to the bridge.

The Captain turned to face the new arrival, who bowed immediately and unnecessarily. It was a youth of no more than seventeen or eighteen that now stood before the proud owner of the boat, clad in the traditional red of the Fire Nation. His face was tinged with the faintest hint of green and he was shaking slightly, both clear indicators that this young man was not familiar with sea travel or the cold weather of the South Pole.

"C-Captain Rikkan." the youth stammered slightly despite his best efforts and the warm red coat he wore. "It has been a pleasant voyage, and I appreciate you allowing me aboard your ship at such short notice."

"No' a problem." replied the seasoned sailor, his accent thick. "Though I daresay more pleasan' fer me- the seas were mighty calm, but no' calm enough for the likes o' your stomach!"

The old man chuckled heartily, grinning at the younger passenger through his beard. The passenger in question paused for a moment, unsure of how to reply, before deciding that a simple nod would be enough.

"We'll be docking in a minute 'ere, you've got yer things?" queried the grizzled seaman.

"Yes, out by the gangway."

"Tha's good, wouldn' want ta keep y' here longer'n necessary. The men hate scrubbin' vomit offa the decks."

With this the friendly captain slapped the seasick youth on the back and went back to shouting commands at the crew, as the green-tinged face of the young man turned and walked back down the stairs he had previously come up. He headed in the direction of the cargo hold before coming to a stop beside the massive metal door that would soon open, letting in the cool air and bright sunlight of the Southern Water Tribe. He did not carry much with him, only a small knapsack with various personal items and a larger bag with warm winter clothes, all dyed the same shades of red signifying that their owner was affiliated with the Fire Nation.

Only moments after the Fire Nation youth had gathered all of his meager belongings and stood near the door, a loud clanging could be heard echoing throughout the hold of the ship, signifying that arrival was imminent and that the large cargo door would open soon. The red-clad boy stood to the side as crewmembers of every nationality and both genders rushed about the large chamber, finishing up last preparations before the end of their voyage. This went on for several minutes before a resounding thud echoed up from the stern of the ship, indicating that it had made contact with the snow covered beach and that the cargo could now be unloaded. As the massive door swung downward, the traveler stepped towards the opening, watching as it settled to the ground.

As soon as he was sure it was safe to disembark, the former passenger stepped swiftly from the bowels of the ship and onto the cold beach, greeted by the sight of the Southern Water Tribe.

It was a beautiful city, lit by thousands of lanterns and composed primarily of snow, ice, and some rock and wood- all building materials that were viable in the cold climate, keeping warmth in and the cold out. The outside temperature was only above freezing during the middle of summer, and during these warm weeks the days tended to be long, the nights short if at all present, and the houses in need of constant tending to avoid any issues with meltwater.

The sun shone bright upon the vast city, reflecting off spires and buildings, causing the massive frozen lighthouse to shine brightly, as though it were a great pillar of fire reaching up from the depths of the earth. The pier that the structure sat on was composed of stone raised up from the seabed, likely with the aid of some powerful waterbending, and had individual spokes jutting out to accommodate a vast array of vessels. It was busy at this time of year, with fishing ships hauling their life, slippery cargo, to and fro as well as other businesses- all bustling about the crowded docks. People of every nation now helped to load or unload massive crates and boxes, carrying them both to other ships or down the pier and into the city.

It was this way the young man now headed, occasionally referring to a small slip of parchment clutched in his still-shaking right hand. There were only a few words written on the paper and it would seem to the casual observer that this obviously lost boy was using the paper for directions, as he would constantly look down and unfold its well-worn creases, reading the contents before returning it to one of the many pockets sewn into his thick red cloak.

 _It should be here somewhere…_ he thought to himself, glancing at the signs above each and every building he passed, seeing some residential buildings in addition to a wide variety of shops.

 _Let's see… an apothecary, a Tailor, Shoemaker, market, and… Here!_

The traveler paused before a small, humble building distinguished only by a large White Lotus symbol above the lintel. He ducked inside, glad for the warmth given by the fire burning in the hearth a few feet away, and examined his surroundings. He was standing in a wooden room, with a ceiling that rose only a foot or two above his head and wood panelled floors and walls. There was a counter on one side of the room, the side opposite the fire, and it was attended by a bored looking man wearing the white and blue robes that the traveler knew to be standard uniform for the Order of the White Lotus, the not-quite-secret society that owned this small pseudo-embassy in the frozen city.

The disinterested attendant glanced up at the new arrival in his lonely domain and started, scrambling for the pen that sat next to him and standing ramrod straight.

"Sir!" gasped the attendant. "Y-You're earlier than anticipated, sir!"

The traveler frowned, having not expected much of a welcome at all. This level of formality was unexpected, and he wondered if there was some mistake.

"I'm not sure you've got the right per-" he began before being interrupted by other man.

"Sir, you are the one they call Prince Roku, yes?" he queried, speaking rapidly and fearfully, obviously wary of the youth's apparent royalty.

"Err, well, yes, I suppose I am, but-" The so-called Prince began, before being interrupted again.

"So sorry for interrupting you, sir!" the attendant stood at attention, managing to stiffen up even more than before. "Your transportation will arrive momentarily, sir!"

Roku sighed, dropped the larger of his two bags, and motioned for the man to relax.

"That's enough formality for now, Mr…?"

"Katsu, Sir."

"Mister Katsu. I would appreciate it if you were to avoid calling me sir in the future."

"Yes si- err, Prince Roku!" stammered the man, obviously confused by this request.

"I would also appreciate it if you were to avoid using certain titles, if at all possible. I would prefer it if my heritage were to remain, well, unknown, if possible." the incognito royal paused for a moment. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mister Roku. I understand."

"I was under the impression that you White Lotus fellows were a bit less strict with rank than normal militaries." frowned Roku. "Or was I incorrect in this assumption…?"

"No sir, errr, Mister Roku. Sorry, I'm a bit new." the guard stumbled over his words, apparently quite nervous. "I used to be a member of the Fire Nation Military, you see, and it's a bit more strict…"

"I see." said the Prince, frowning. "I know what you mean, Katsu. I of all people should be familiar with the level of formality expected from our military."

"Yes, sir. Exactly, sir. Errr, sorry for calling you sir." the man was still obviously nervous, despite the traveler's attempts to calm him. "I'll just stop talking..."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, Katsu." grinned the younger of the two men. "I will need more information about this place, about my job."

"You mean you don't know, sir…?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know what you're here for?"

"No, or at least I don't know as much as I would like." Roku sighed, taking a seat in one of the chairs near the fire and motioning for the attendant to do the same. "I was just told to go to the Southern Water Tribe, and that I would be working with the Avatar. Normally I would ask for more information, but it was a bit of a rushed decision, as my only other option was life as a Fire Sage or some sort of dignitary, or a member of the military. But none of those appealed to me, and when the option to come here came up…"

"You took it." Katsu nodded sympathetically, sitting in the indicated chair. "I understand that. Adventure and mystery and the great unknown, the appeal of traveling the world, that sort of thing. As for what exactly you'll be doing here, I suspect that you will get more information from the higher ups. I don't know much, just try to do my job, but I think it's got something to do with the Avatar not having anyone to spar with that's on her level, presumably in regards to bending. You some sort of firebending prodigy?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say prodigy," grinned Roku, "but I hold my own. I guess that would explain why it was my grandfather who told me to make the trip down here. He always had a knack for giving good advice, at least in my experience. But I was under the impression that the Avatar lives in some sort of fortress or something like that, isolated from the rest of the world. How am I gonna get there?"

"I'm afraid there are no roads, or satomobiles that can drive on snow, or any sort of motorized vehicles to take you to the Avatar's compound." replied Katsu apologetically. "Most of the trek will be on foot, weather permitting, and there will be a guide accompanying you. The compound is in the mountains to the south, not too far, though you may need to use some of those firebending skills of yours to keep warm."

There then came a knock on the door, a great rapping of fist on wood, and shouting from the outside of the small building.

"Katsu!" cried the deep, commanding voice. "Is our Fire Nation friend in there with you?"

"Yes!" called out the attendant. "I cleared all of his papers, he's the one you need to bring up to the compound!"

Roku frowned momentarily. He had not seen any papers signed, checked, or cleared. The man had merely accepted him for who he claimed to be with no real questions asked and sent him on his way.

"Good!" called the voice. "Send him my way!"

Katsu the White Lotus desk attendant gestured to the firebender, his manner far more relaxed than it had been when they had first met.

"Good luck, Mister Roku." he waved as the young bender gathered his belongings and headed to the door, back out into the cold polar air. "Remember my name if they ever ask you who around here could use a promotion!"

Outside the small snowclad building there was a large, burly man dressed in robes identical to those of his friend inside. He had a large beard, similar to Captain Rikkan's, though it had more color and revealed the muscular man to be of a far younger age.

"My name's Gopan." grunted the man. "I'll be your guide, an' take you to th' compound."

Roku only nodded, following the massive man up the winding, ice covered road. It eventually dwindled into a winding, icy covered path, that took the quiet pair up over the sprawling Southern Water Tribe capital city and into the mountains, slowly getting further and further away from civilization.

* * *

It took three hours for the young firebender and his quiet, hulking companion to reach the compound. They had seen it first about half an hour before, the two shiny guard towers flanking the massive gate and the strong snow walls that marked the perimeter of the near fortress-like collection of buildings. As they had neared those massive walls, new features gradually became apparent- the wooden watch towers surrounding the entirety of the camp, the presence of guards atop the thicker and better fortified primary turrets, and the blue carvings adorning the front of the main gate.

Roku was unfamiliar with the carvings, though he correctly assumed that they had some significance to the Water Tribe or to the Avatar, and he found himself marveling at their intricacy and level of detail.

 _Those must have taken quite a bit of time to carve._ he mused, staring up at the gates as they finally stopped, waiting for the guards to let the two in. _Most of the other more permanent fortifications are natural, or at the very least obviously made with bending. But these looked to be hand-carved; not an easy feat._

As the massive face in the center of the two halves of the gate slowly split open, Roku was swiftly ushered in, and he saw the massive face of Gopan glaring down at him in a manner not unlike that of the carving on the two doors they had just passed through.

"You're gonna want to talk to the White Lotus masters," grumbled the surly man. "They'll get you sorted out."

"Thank you." replied the incognito Prince, bowing politely to his former guide.

"Hmmmph."

Roku sighed and continued on, lamenting how ineffective his robes were when it came to keeping out the freezing cold of the South Pole. He had been forced to firebend on the previous walk in a futile effort to expel the cold, much to the apparent amusement of Gopan. He figured that he would need to swap out his apparently not-quite-warm enough robes for some of the White Lotus or local Water Tribe robes, both of which looked to be far better in terms of insulation.

As the firebender drew closer to the small wooden pavilion that Gopan had pointed him in the direction of, he began to scan his surroundings. There was some sort of wooden obstacle course to his left, full of ropes and nets and a wide variety of other contraptions. Beyond that there was a series of buildings with barracks for the guards, a cafeteria, and numerous houses that were apparently built for the more important people in the compound.

Finally passing the obstacle course, Roku was able to see a large, elevated sparring platform directly in front of his destination that was occupied by several firebenders all engaged in intense sparring, with jets of fire being hurled left and right as the three benders seemingly danced about each other.

 _That must be the Avatar,_ decided the young Fire Nation man when he saw one of the benders send her sparring partner hurling through the air with a particularly powerful burst. _They expect me to spar with someone that fast!?_

Roku continued to marvel at the spectacle before him as the Avatar swiftly dispatched the remaining firebender, jumping up and over the startled man's head to deliver a final, massive burst of flame, blasting the poor bender onto his knees. The man soon slumped over in exhaustion.

The young Water Tribe girl then cheered before running back towards the same wooden pavilion that the weary traveler was now making his way to, where she held a brief conversation with the people gathered there. He found that, as he neared the structure, he recognized only one of the bending masters there- Master Katara, and older woman clad in a thick blue parka. The others, all serious looking men and women were dressed for the most part in the classic White Lotus uniform, though there was a fifth man dressed in the red colors that Roku was most familiar with.

When the exchange between the Avatar and her teachers was over, she smiled, bowed, and ran towards what appeared to be a series of large animal pens, designed to house some large beast that Roku was likely unfamiliar with. Once she had turned away, the young firebender stepped towards the somber looking men and women cautiously, unsure as to what his next move should be.

"You there!" called out the shortest of the men assembled. "Who are you?"

"That would be our new guest." interjected Katara before the bender could speak. "Here on my invitation."

"What do you mean!?" cried out the man incredulously, glaring at the waterbending master. "Who is this boy?"

"I decided that Korra could use some companionship." she smiled. "Someone her own age, to spar with, someone that has been outside these icy walls. Someone who has seen the world."

"Then who is he?" queried the man frustratedly, glaring at the older waterbender. "And how did he get here?"

"I'll let him answer that." Katara smiled again, glancing at the newcomer.

"Err, well, my name is Roku." the firebender shifted awkwardly. "I'm not entirely clear on _why_ I'm here. The guards seemed to know who I was, though, and that's _how_ I'm here."

"There you have it."

At this point it was obvious that the old Avatar's wife was enjoying how frustrated her fellow teachers were becoming. She turned to young firebender, smiling at him, ignoring the other teachers as they began arguing amongst themselves.

"You can get started tomorrow. The Avatar is out right now, and I suspect that you'll be wanting some rest." she paused, noticed his shivering, and chuckled. "And food and warm clothes, too!"

"Thank you, Master Katara." Roku bowed, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

 _I suppose I'll have to find out._

* * *

 **Author's** **Note: So, you made it to the end of my first chapter. Great! This is the first of what I hope to be a great many chapters following the adventures of one Prince Roku alongside the Avatar (though the Avatar in question has not yet been introduced- she will be!). This is not my first attempt at writing fan fiction, but I did decide a while ago to abandon my old account, and when I felt the need to start writing again, well, I created this one. I apologize for any errors, as it is getting pretty late as I am finishing this up, but I hope you enjoyed what I have written! I cannot promise a constant update schedule, but I will try. Also, if any beta readers out there have a desire to beta-read this story, send me a message- I would love to work with you! So, if you liked the story, leave a review, subscribe, or favorite, and if you want to read more, I will likely have another chapter out within a week or so. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Roku was not able to meet with the Avatar until the morning, after one of the many guards showed him to his bunk, allowing him to take some much needed rest. He was living temporarily in one of the guard barracks on the compound until more permanent housing could be allocated, which the young firebender didn't mind. He was also fed alongside the guards, in the mess area, though he tended to keep to himself, in an effort to avoid talking about his past.

From what he could tell, only the guard at the embassy had been told the young Prince's identity, and he planned on keeping it that way. Too many people knowing that he was the son of Fire Lord Izumi could cause unwanted attention to be directed at the compound's newest arrival, and this was something he would prefer to avoid if at all possible.

He was sitting alone on one of the many mess hall benches, wolfing down his warm breakfast and thinking about how grateful he was that there were clothes warmer than his own that fit him available inside the compound when the Avatar entered the room. The assembled guards had mixed reactions, with some calling out greeting and others merely going back to their meals.

Roku, on the other hand, froze. He had not really thought through how he should interact with the Avatar, and while he had been around dignitaries and various other important people all his life, he had never met someone as important as the bridge between the human and spirit worlds.

 _How should I behave?_ he asked himself, staring at his breakfast like one might stare at an encyclopedia, hoping it would provide answers. _Formally? She didn't seem particularly formal yesterday, but that may change around different people. Casually? That may send the wrong message. I should definitely sit straighter. Maybe she's not even here for me, maybe she's here to grab breakfast. Yeah, breakfast, that makes sense. It is breakfast time. And the food isn't half bad, I suppose…_

As she turned to the food counter, Roku exhaled a breath he did not know he was holding. If the Avatar was just here for food, he reasoned, she would have no reason to speak to him, and that would allow him to further analyze the best approach to be taken when conversing with someone as important as the _Avatar_.

Alas, much to his consternation, the blue-clad Southern Water Tribe bender was not just in the mess hall for a meal. As she scanned the room, her eyes lit upon the figure sitting in the corner of the bench furthest from everyone else and she smiled, walking towards the newcomer with a slight smile on her face.

Korra set her tray down heavily on the wooden table, sitting opposite the startled firebender before grinning at him.

"I'm Korra. I take it that you're to be my new sparring partner?"

"Roku." he looked up from his breakfast, abandoning his eating utensils and standing so he could bow in front of the Avatar. "You would be correct."

"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed in reply gesturing for the firebender to take a seat. "None of that bowing stuff."

"Errr, if you say so." Roku frowned, but sat down all the same. "I suppose you'll be wondering who I am."

"Not if you don't want me to." she paused, before grinning at him. "All that really matters, in the end, is that you can firebend well enough to be my sparring partner. Can you?"

"I guess that remains to be determined." the incognito Prince shrugged, leaning back before realizing that he was sitting on a bench. "Though I think I wouldn't be here if I wasn't any good."

"Well, then we should probably find out!" she stood, her meal forgotten. "Let's go spar!"

"Hold on a minute," Roku stopped the excited Avatar before she could run off. "I've got a few questions for you. And neither of us have finished our breakfast."

" _Fine_ , we can wait." Korra grumbled, sitting back down and picking up her chopsticks. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, how long have you been training?" he began, finishing up the last of his meal. "Which of the elements have you learned to use? What are your preferred elements? How good are you at sparring? What sort of protective gear would we wear? What elements do you usually spar with? Wh-"

"Woah there, slow down." Korra interrupted, laughing at the slew of questions. "I can only answer so many things at a time."

"Well, we aren't in a rush, are we?"

"No, I suppose we aren't." she sighed. "Well, I've been training for quite a while now, ever since I was a young girl. I can bend water, earth, and fire, but not yet air, and I prefer water and fire bending. And as for protective gear, the Order makes me wear padded gear to avoid serious injury, and I'd imagine they'd have you do the same."

"Well, that sounds good to me. Though," he sighed, "I suppose you'll be wanting to ask me a few questions?"

"I can think of a few." the Avatar stood, having apparently eaten her fill. "But you can answer them while we walk to the sparring arena. No sense in wasting time in the mess hall."

Roku nodded, standing next to Korra as they walked towards the door together. He marveled as to how well the exchange had gone, despite his initial awkwardness, and was amazed at the amount of energy his newfound friend had so early in the morning.

As they stepped out into the harsh morning light, he sighed, steeling himself in preparation for the incoming questions.

"So, what do you want to know about me?"

"Well, who exactly are you would probably be a good start."

"I guess that makes sense." he paused for a moment, thinking about what would be best to reveal to the Avatar and what would be prudent to omit. "Well, I was born and raised in Capital City, in the Fire Nation. Lived there for all my life, though not by choice. My father was in the military, now retired, and my mother is a diplomat. I found out about the opportunity to come here because of her job, and I would rather travel than end up as a diplomat or a fire sage or even in the military. All too rigid for me, not enough personal freedom."

The Prince paused again, thinking over what he had just said. He had made sure to omit any mention of what his mother actually did in the Royal Palace, and the fact that his father was a rather high-ranking general.

 _It'd be easier for everyone involved if I left that bit out._ he decided. _Who my parents are doesn't matter now. Who I am as a person, now that's what's relevant._

"Wow. Sounds a lot more exciting than growing up here." Korra gestured at the surrounding ice walls and the watch towers that accompanied them. "I'm not exactly allowed a lot of personal freedom."

"They don't even let you explore the city?"

"They do, sometimes, but the Order of the White Lotus isn't exactly keen on me wandering about." Now it was the Avatar's turn to sigh, and she did with a small shrug. "Somehow I doubt that this is what Aang had in mind when he told them to keep the next Avatar safe. There's a such thing as being too safe, you know?"

"Yeah, definitely." Roku strongly agreed with this sentiment. "I have had similar issues with my parents in the past, though they've never tried to built walled fortresses to keep me in one place."

The firebender realized that this was not exactly true. From a young age the Prince had been confined to the palace, and had only been allowed to wander the city on his own when his parents and firebending tutor deemed him capable enough to defend himself.

"I wish they would just let me _go_." Korra continued angrily. "I want to travel, explore the world, meet new people, that sort of thing. Instead I'm locked up in this… this _prison!_ "

The young Avatar punctuated this last statement with an angry gesture, causing a small burst of flame to issue from her hands. Roku raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid I can't help you escape. But, I can tell you what it's like."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can tell you what it's like out _there_ " he gestured to the sky. "The world outside these ice walls. Outside this compound. Outside even the Southern Water Tribe. I may not have traveled as much as some, but I've certainly seen some fascinating bits of the world, and I figure you may be interested in hearing about them."

"That does sound interesting. But first, I think it's time we have our first good sparring match!"

They had reached a small storage hut, several dozen meters away from the main arena. The Avatar opened the small door and removed two sets of protective gear, tossing one to her opponent.

"Put that on." she smirked. "Wouldn't want you getting hurt, now would we?"

"As much as I appreciated your concern," grinned Roku. "It's your own well being I'd be worried about if I were you."

"I'd be worried if you were as good as you say you are" Korra shot back, putting on her helmet. "But somehow I doubt that'll be the case."

"I suppose we'll just have to see, now won't we?"

They had made it to the sparring ring now and were moving to the opposite sides of the field. It was covered in red cloth, likely to prevent snow from being a major issue while sparring, and Roku was reminded of the red carpet that covered the floors of much of the Palace at home.

Upon reaching opposite ends of the square ring, both combatants began moving diagonally both towards each other and slightly to their right, each attempting to circle the other.

"I'll even limit myself to one element!" Korra shouted. "I'll even let you pick which one!"

"Fire, obviously." Roku shouted back. "That should even out the odds!"

"Good choice." the Avatar said to herself, before she launched herself towards her opponent with a burst of fire, signaling the start of their fight.

The opponent in question anticipated her move, as he had seen her prepare for the lunge, and was able to dodge to the side even as Korra kicked toward where he had stood only seconds before. In response to the attempted strike, Roku punched twice, a quick one-two, sending two small fireballs hurtling towards his adversary.

It was then that the Avatar jumped, leaping high into the air with the assistance of another burst of flame. She used the additional height to her advantage, kicking downwards and sending a great jet of flame towards the other firebender, who was forced to leap to the side. Rolling into a crouch as he landed, the young bender was able to kick out at his foe's legs as he landed in an attempt to throw her off balance.

To his surprise, it worked. The combination of being forced to concentrate on landing successfully and avoiding the additional threat of the second attack caused Korra to land off balance, and though it only took her a few moments to regain it, that was enough for Roku. By the time his adversary had gotten her fists in front of her body in a blocking position, the young firebender was already sending bursts of flame towards her, in the form of a quick series of punches followed up by a roundhouse kick.

Yet despite this flurry of strikes, the Avatar still stood tall, dodging and blocking each and every burst of heat. The opposing bender was amazed at his opponent's ability to avoid each and every attack, but still he pressed his advantage.

 _Surely at some point she will miss one of them._ he thought to himself. _Nobody can last forever. Maybe I should try something else…_

Instead of continuing the series of rapid fire, smaller attacks, Roku decided to change his approach. He kicked a large scything arc of fire at Korra, before following it up with a steady stream of flame. The technique proved ineffective, however, as the young Avatar was able to leap up and over the flames, dodging the burst again with the assistance of her own firebending. The jump allowed her to sail up and over the confused firebender opposing her and she was able to land behind him, allowing her to kick a single blast of flame into his back.

The attack was completely successful. Roku was blasted forward several meters due to the intensity of the attack, and he sailed off the edge of the elevated sparring platform and into a snow drift. He sat there for a moment, fire resistant clothes and protective gear smoldering, and enjoyed how soft the snow felt. After a moment the exhausted firebender turned over and stared up at the shockingly blue sky, free from clouds or other obstructions.

Despite his initial inability to cope with the colder weather, the firebender found himself enjoying the cold climate. He found that the crisp, fresh weather was refreshing, and he did not mind the accompanying cold. In fact, he almost forgot the reason he was in this particular until the Avatar stood over him, offering a hand to pull him from his prone position. He accepted, and she pulled him to his feet.

"Well, I guess that settles it." Korra grinned. "I'm the better bender."

"Hah! Only because I wasn't prepared." Roku retorted. "Once we get ourselves a proper firebender sparring ring, then you'll see."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better, Roku." she laughed. "But it seems to me that you're just making excuses."

"Not excuses, just viable factors that contributed to my loss!"

"Mmmmhmmm. Whatever you say. Though," Korra paused, giving the firebender a sidelong glance, "You did put up a good fight. Most of the people I've sparred with recently have been rather easy to defeat. They fought well, but not for long. You must've had a good teacher."

"One of the best." replied Roku. "Maybe you'll meet him one day."

He did not tell his friend that he had been taught by none other than Lord Zuko, his grandfather. The elderly man was a master firebender, and though he was often particularly busy for his age, he had always had time to help further his grandson's firebending skills. It was he who had encouraged Roku to make the trip to the South Pole, and the young man was very grateful for all his grandfather had done for him.

"He taught you well. You almost had me there for a moment, before your little slip up."

"He certainly did." agreed the young bender. "He certainly did."

They stopped at the same storage closet they had taken the training equipment from and returned the helmets and protective pads, each a little more scuffed and scorched than before but altogether undamaged. After the gear had been secured, Roku turned to his new friend.

"So, what exactly do you do around here when you aren't sparring?" he asked.

"Well, not much to be honest." the Avatar sighed. "I've got afternoon tutoring, mostly about the history of the various Avatars and that sort of thing, as well as training for new bending techniques. But beyond that, not much. Sometimes I can convince them to let me go to the city for a day or two, like during the Glacier Spirits Festival, but it's never really long enough to do anything interesting."

"That's a shame." replied the firebender. "You must have friends, though, right? You'd go mad if you were completely alone."

"Naga!" Korra visibly brightened, and she began running towards the large animal kennels on the far side of the compound. "How could I forget Naga?"

"Who?" Roku asked, running to catch up with the Avatar.

"Naga!" she slowed to a jog, allowing the firebender to catch up. "She's my best friend!"

"Yes, but _who_ is she?" queried the confused bender.

"Naga is a polar bear dog." answered Korra. "She's my animal companion."

"Ah. That would explain the fact that we are running towards the animal pens."

The Avatar merely laughed as they entered the kennel. It was sunken into the ground, built into the side of the east wall of the compound, with a metal fence to keep the apparently rather large creature in its enclosure. The enclosure itself was spacious, with wooden supports keeping the icy roof at bay, hay for bedding, a large igloo house and an elevated circular nest-type structure. In the center of the room was a massive polar bear dog, sitting and cheerfully wagging its one and a half meter long tail.

"Naga!" called out Korra as she ran to the gigantic animal, hugging it around its broad chest. Naga panted and licked the Avatar's face, before abruptly turning her head as Roku stepped off the last icy step and into the circular room.

"Naga, this is Roku. He's friendly, so try not to eat him."

The large, fluffy creature walked slowly towards the newcomer, sniffing at him with her large snout, before coming to a stop only inches before the young firebender's face. Despite the fact that he was pretty sure the Avatar was joking about Naga eating him, Roku still decided that it would be best to stay completely still and avoid antagonizing the creature. After a long moment, the polar bear dog sat on her hind legs, regarding the firebender in a more relaxed manner before licking his face, her massive tongue drenching the Prince's face and messing up his hair. As Korra burst into laughter, he stood stock still in shock, surprised at the display of friendliness from the massive animal.

"I think… I think she likes you." the Avatar said between fits of laughter.

"Really?" responded the newcomer as he wiped his face on the sleeve of his parka. "What tipped you off?"

"Usually she's much more reserved." said Korra once her laughter subsided. "But I guess you're different. _Man,_ you should've seen the look on your _face!_ "

"I'd like to see you act all stoic when an animal that bulky and intimidating licks your face." frowned Roku. "I could've sworn she was going to eat me."

"Well, she hasn't eaten anyone _yet._ " she jested. "You could have been the first, but I figured that was unlikely."

"Well, I'm glad you figured correctly."

"What can I say, I'm good at judging Naga's moods." the Avatar smiled. "What do you say we go out and play with her for a bit? I think she gets lonely in this pen of hers."

"As long as she doesn't eat me, I think that'd be fine."

"I can't promise anything, but somehow I doubt she plans on eating you."

"Yeah, that's what they always say," groused Roku as they left the pen with Naga in tow. "but that doesn't mean they're telling the truth."

 **Author's Note:** **Here's the second chapter! I know these aren't particularly long, but for some reason I prefer shorter chapters released within short intervals. This is likely because seeing that people read what I wrote, and views always go up when more is added to the story. On a related note, I think this chapter is far better than its predecessor (I suppose I just needed to get into the writing groove) and flows much better, instead of the slow, kinda painful writing of the first chapter.**

 **Also, I tried to write Korra as realistically as possible, or at least as close to the character she is/was at the beginning of season one, i.e. talented, but immature and a bit arrogant. Not sure if I achieved that, but I certainly tried. Also: worry not, you Korrasami/Makorra/(other ships I forgot)! I don't plan on having Roku be much of a participant in the love triangles/squares/geometric shapes that are a part of the first season. He will date certain characters in the future (assuming I continue writing past season 1) but for now, canon relationships are canon.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! As always, subscribe, favorite, leave a review, or just enjoy the story!**


	3. Chapter 3

Life at the Order of the White Lotus compound continued as it had on that first day when the Prince and the Avatar met. Each morning Roku woke, walked to the mess hall where Korra joined him, and together they ate their breakfast. Then, the two would go out and spar, sometimes for a few hours and sometimes for a few minutes. After that it was usually time for the afternoon meal, usually spent either in the mess hall or in one of the watchtowers dotting the walls as they enjoyed the view. After lunch, the two benders would usually either play with Naga, and after that sometimes Korra would convince Roku to tell her stories of the various places he had visited. They would sometimes swap stories for hours, usually in the presence of giant Polar Bear Dog, with Roku describing the bits of the outside world that he had experienced and Korra recounting the tales of various Avatars and their escapades. It was after one particularly lively tale of Avatar Aang that the firebender asked the one question that had been on his mind for quite some time now.

"So… now that you've passed your firebending test," he began, "what's next? I know there are airbenders in Republic City, but that's pretty far away."

"Katara told me that Tenzin is already on his way south, actually." answered Korra. "He's her son, and the last airbending master left. He has a family as well, a wife and three children. They're like…" she paused for a moment, considering her relationship with the family of airbenders. "Well, they're like family, I guess. The children are like the younger siblings I never had, and Tenzin is more like an uncle to me. You'll get to meet them soon, and I'm sure you'll get along great."

"I'm sure." nodded Roku in agreement. "You must be pretty excited to start your air training."

"What gave it away?" she laughed. "Yes, I'm excited. After I master airbending I will be a full-blown Avatar! That's something to look forward too, if you ask me."

The Prince only nodded again in agreement, letting silence cover the conversation like a thick blanket.

 _I wonder if Tenzin will recognize me._ he thought. _I think he's visited mother before, but I don't really remember any airbenders. With any luck, I won't be recognized._

His train of thought was interrupted by Naga, who rolled over on her back, demanding a attention, her large tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Roku smiled and laid back against her, rubbing the exposed belly of the large polar bear dog as he stared up at the vast blue sky.

"Well, someone's taken a liking to you." remarked Korra. "I daresay that you're one of her favorite people here, barring me and the man responsible for feeding her."

"I'm just glad she didn't roll over and crush us." replied the firebender. "That would have ended badly."

"It certainly would have." agreed the Avatar.

They sat in silence for a while, with one staring up at the sky and the other having closed her eyes. To a casual observer, it would appear that the two benders had fallen asleep, though both were very much awake. The two friends were each thinking their own thoughts: Roku was thinking of the fact that he would likely have to reveal his royal parentage at some point, and Korra was thinking about airbending, and how excited she was to learn a new element to bend. She did not look forward to the inevitable "spiritual side" of bending that would accompany the training, but anticipated airbending all the same. Her secretly royal companion, on the other hand, dreaded the coming of the famous airbender Tenzin, worrying that the master bender would recognize him. Roku had long been told that he resembled his grandfather, more so than his brother, who more closely resembled their father. It was not uncommon for people to make note of this similarity, so the young Prince could only hope that the Avatar's new teacher would have difficulty recalling faces, or would be at the very least unfamiliar with the Royal Family of the Fire Nation.

"When exactly is Tenzin coming?" Roku asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the three.

"In about four days." answered Korra. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just curious." he answered, before changing the subject. "I suppose you'll be wanting me to tell you more about Republic City and Air Temple Island."

"Finally! I was starting to get impatient."

"Well, if you insist…"

* * *

One morning, long before the Avatar woke, Roku rose from his bed and got dressed far earlier than usual. The sun had already been up for a long time, as was usual during the summer in the Southern Water Tribe, though it was covered by great billowy , it was quite early and the graveyard shift of guards were still out patrolling the walls of the secluded compound, with quite a bit of time till the next shift change. He had recently been moved to more permanent housing than his previous home in the guard barracks, and said housing took the form of a small one-person bedroom, with a simple bed, a narrow desk, a wooden chair, a fireplace, and the one amenity he valued most- privacy. Though he shared the building itself with several White Lotus higher-ups and other non-White Lotus personnel, the firebender saw little of his housemates, and was allowed to come and go as he pleased.

As Roku stepped out of the large wooden building and into the freezing morning, he found himself again feeling glad that he was given new vestments. His old clothes were not suited for colder weather, particularly weather of the sort that confronted him as he stepped out of the dormitory. It was a particularly blustery day, with the sun completely blocked out by great clouds that spewed large snowflakes out over the Water Tribe. The dancing snowflakes were joined by smaller ice particles and frost from the ground, all gathered up and blown about by the strong summer wind. Visibility and temperatures were low, unlike the wind speed, and the lone firebender was forced to wrap his face up in his scarf and clutch his cloak tightly about himself to protect the majority of his body from the gale. The cold bit at Roku like a hungry predator, snapping at his heels like so many wolfbats bearing down on their prey. Visibility was so bad at one point that he was forced to firebend himself a sort of torch, with the steadiest column of flame he could muster issuing from his right hand. The problem with this was that the flame melted many a snowflake or ice crystal, and the water dripped slowly down his arm before freezing again, and soon several icicles formed along the bender's forearm.

 _It should_ not _take this long to cross this compound._ he thought to himself. _I've got icicles forming on my nose, my eyelids are starting to stick, and it's late summer, not even winter. I don't wanna know what that's gonna be like._

Finally Roku arrived at his destination, he felt like a human icecube. Pausing for a moment outside the door, he took a moment to melt as much excess ice as he could with a brief burst of firebending, causing much of the liquid to evaporate or soak into his clothes. After that was done, he knocked on the large, imposing wooden door before him.

"Come in." called a voice from inside.

He stepped in. Master Katara lived in a humble home, and it functioned as both a home and an infirmary for the compound, mostly due to the fact the aging waterbender was an expert healer. There were few medical incidents in the compound that she could not handle with a bit of water and some time, and the previous Avatar's wife was revered by those around here for this ability.

The elderly woman was now hunched over the fireplace brewing tea. As Roku entered the room, still dripping wet, she nodded slightly.

"I've been expecting you, Roku." she said, her gaze still focused on the tea pot.

"Master Katara." he bowed. "Why do you say that?"

"Ever since you got here with more questions on your mind than there are snowflakes in the sky I knew you'd come to visit me at some point. It was just a matter of when." she stepped back from the small porcelain vessel and gestured to the fireplace below it. "Would you please light that for me?"

"Of course." the firebender nodded before kneeling in front of the fire, igniting it within seconds.

"Now for your questions." the waterbending master sat cross legged on the floor and gestured for Roku to do the same. "Go ahead, sit. I probably owe you a few answers, though secrecy was never really intended."

"Honestly, now that I'm here I'm not entirely sure what to ask." he paused, thinking for a moment. "I guess… I just want to know, why me?"

"Well, the answer to that probably isn't as groundbreaking as you expect it to be." the old woman chuckled. "I figured that Korra needed someone her age to interact with, to be around. Someone who hasn't been confined to the South Pole for all their life. I thought it would do her good, and I suspect I was right."

"Yes, but why _me_?"

"Well, I asked around. Korra was training for her firebending test, so I figured your grandfather Zuko would be a good person to ask." she replied. "He told me about his grandson, a talented firebender less than seven months older than the Avatar. I suspect you know the rest of the story."

"I believe I do."

"Now, I've got a question for you." began Katara. "Why are you so afraid of people finding out who you are?"

"I figured you might ask that." Roku shifted uncomfortably. "And I honestly can't really provide a good answer. I guess… I guess I just wanted to be judged for who I am. Not as the son of the Fire Lord, but as a normal person. I like people thinking of me as normal, it changes how they interact. Makes me more approachable, I guess."

Katara said nothing, and only gazed at the young man for a moment before standing up to retrieve the now-boiling tea pot. After waiting a moment to cool the water, she added the tea leaves and set the pot down over a small candle to keep it from getting too cold. Once all the preparations were done, the old waterbending master sat down again.

"I understand your position." she said. "Many people are judged by others based on their parents, despite the fact that they are their own unique self. I suspect that my children sometimes struggled with this, along with your grandfather."

Roku said nothing, merely watching as the aging waterbender poured out a cup of tea for him and then for herself. He picked up the small porcelain, blowing gently to cool the hot liquid, and took a tentative sip.

"There's one other thing I must ask you for, Master Katara." he began unsteadily. "A favor."

The old Water Tribe woman said nothing, instead raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"When you're son, errr, when Master Tenzin gets here." the firebender continued, sounding more and more sure of himself as he continued speaking. "I would appreciate it if you could talk to him about my… situation. It would allow me to remain incognito, which I think would be easier for everyone involved."

"Of course I can!" Katara smiled. "There's just one thing I need in return."

"What might that be?" asked Roku.

"I need you to promise me that you'll protect Korra." she drained her teacup and refilled it almost immediately. "No matter what happens, I need you to promise me that you'll remain loyal to her, and that you'll safeguard the woman my dear Aang was reincarnated as."

"I can do that, Master Katara." bowed the firebender as he too drained his teacup before standing and bowing before the old woman. "I can definitely do that."

* * *

Two days later, Roku was standing with Avatar Korra and Master Katara, waiting on the arrival of Master Tenzin and his family. The sun was setting, turning the vast blue sky into a canvas and covering it in brushstrokes of orange and red, a great masterpiece of nature. The cold evening breeze was blowing, ruffling the firebender's hair and making the braids of both present women dance and jump. The first night shift of the guards had just begun, and the white clad men were just now replacing their comrades and settling in for another cold, boring night. The great, sinking ball of fire in the sky caused light to reflect off the ice walls and the white ground, managing to make the waning light seem far brighter even as it slipped away to be replaced by the moon. The three were standing at the very back of the compound, in front of the large building that housed the Avatar and her family, and were waiting quietly for the sky bison that was carrying the airbenders to appear over the horizon. Eventually, when the sun was about halfway covered by the great icy walls of the compound, the bison appeared. Upon its back were five orange-clad figures of varying shapes and sizes, and Korra ran towards the huge creature as it landed.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? It looks like we're here, I know this this is very familiar, are we here yet? Ooh, please tell me we're here!" shouted a small voice from the bison as it landed.

"Yes, Ikki." answered the tired sounding man piloting the animal. "As i've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, we are, _finally,_ here."

The family disembarked simultaneously, with the man and his wife climbing down from the saddle of the sky bison as his children lept upon small spheres of air and floated to the ground. The woman appeared to be very pregnant, carefully descending from her spot in the saddle, and she was helped down by the tall airbender, who Roku assumed to be Tenzin. Once his wife was safely on the ground, the man approached Katara with a small boy in his hands.

"Hello, mother. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you." he said, sounding quite exhausted. "Please. Help me." he whispered to the older woman, who took the small, bald child in her hands and laughed.

"Unhand me strange woman!" he cried, waving his hands about in the air.

"That's your grandmother, Meelo." admonished Tenzin as the youngest of the airbenders ran away from the waterbending master.

"It's so good to see all of you…" Master Katara smiled as another of the airbender children approached her.

"Gran gran! I've been reading all about your old adventures, and I've been dying to ask you. What happened to Zuko's mom?" the diminutive airbender asked, the first of the three to act in a relatively calm and controlled manner.

 _She must be the oldest._ decided Roku. He also realized that he knew the answer to the girl's question, but decided to let the older woman explain for the sake of his own secret.

"Well Jinora, it's an incredible tale-" Katara began, before she was interrupted by the second, younger girl who began jumping and shouting about something the firebender didn't quite follow. He could only pick the words campfire and snowmen out of the rapid-fire series of questions before he gave up and tuned the rest of the words out.

Soon the questions ended, and the elderly waterbender moved on to the pregnant woman, remarking on strength of the baby and the likelihood that it would be another airbender, which caused what was apparently no small amount of distress to appear on the frazzled mother's face.

"All I want is one child like me, a nice non-bender who doesn't blast wind in my face every five seconds." she sighed as the statement was punctuated by a flurry of wind and snow from the youngest of the three children, who had apparently tried to bend snow. "Were Tenzin and his siblings this crazy when they were kids?"

"Kya and Bumi certainly were." answered Katara thoughtfully. "But Tenzin has always been… rather _serious._ "

"Mother, please." interjected the airbender in a particularly sober tone, proving the older woman right in an instant before turning his attention to the Avatar.

"Korra?" he asked, as she ran forward to meet him. "Look at you, so big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar."

"Master Tenzin!" she replied excitedly. "I'm so glad you're here! I can't wait to get started!"

"Yes, well…" he frowned before sighing slightly, apparently at a loss for words.

"You're going to tell her sooner or later." stated Pema matter-of-factly.

"Tell me what?" asked Korra, obviously confused by the exchange.

"You're not staying, are you." stated Katara, sadness apparent in her voice.

"I'm afraid not," Tenzin sighed, "we're only visiting for the night. Then I have to return to Republic City."

"Bu-no- you're supposed to move here- you're supposed to teach me!" replied the Avatar unhappily.

"I'm sorry, Korra." he apologized. "You're airbending training will have to wait."

"But-"

"We can talk about it later, Korra." Tenzin cut her off. "Right now we need to get Pema, the children, and our luggage inside before it gets really cold."

"I… I understand." the Avatar pouted, watching as the airbending master and his family gathered their things and headed inside.

"I'm sorry, Korra." said Roku, speaking for the first time in quite a while. "I know how much you were looking forward to this."

"I just, I don't understand _why_." she frowned. "I'm the Avatar, my training should take precedence over whatever is going on in Republic City."

"I'd imagine that it normally would," replied the firebender, attempting to placate his friend, "but things must be pretty bad, if Tenzin is going back there instead of training you here."

"I guess you're right." she sighed, leading the way as they walked towards the door of the large buildings.

"Things'll sort themselves out, Korra." continued the bender. "Just you wait. We'll have you airbending in no time."

"I hope so." she sighed again as they reached the large entryway. "I hope so."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **That chapter took waaay longer than the previous two. Not entirely sure why, I guess I just had more trouble writing it. I don't think it's as good/interesting as the last one, but it is kinda necessary for the story. Next step one will be full of a lot more dialogue, and I suspect the first part of our two main character's journey to Republic City. Thanks for reading, and if you liked it, be sure to follow, favorite, or leave a review. Expect the next chapter before the end of this week.**


	4. Chapter 4

Later that evening, after the family of airbenders had stowed their belongings and the children joined their mother and grandmother in a more formal dining area, Tenzin, the Avatar, and several important members of the Order of the White Lotus held a meeting over dinner. Roku attempted to join them, but after being turned away at the door resigned himself to waiting outside, hoping to catch bits and pieces of conversation, lying in a rather large snowdrift. He found the cold, soft texture of the snow to be comforting, and a feeling largely absent in his far warmer homeland. It allowed him to think about what had just happened, and the more he thought, the more he realized that Korra would _not_ accept this rejection.

 _At least, not without a fight._ he decided.

The meeting turned out to be quite brief. The firebender heard faint voices from the other side of the wooden wall, voices that slowly grew in volume before one shouted, slammed on the table, and said something with apparent finality. Then, a sort of resolution appeared to be reached- though the quiet listener knew that it would not be permanent- and it was then that the Avatar walked swiftly through the door, slamming it behind her as Roku scrambled to stand up and catch up to her.

"Korra!" he called out, jogging to her side. "What just happened?"

"Nothing _happened._ " she spat out angrily. "Tenzin refuses to teaches me. Says he's needed in Republic City, and that his duties as a leader of Republic City come before his duties as the Avatar's _teacher._ "

"Couldn't you just go to Republic City with him and train there?" questioned the bender, confused as to why it was an issue. "It's not like the Southern Water Tribe has an airbending significance. Does it?"

"No! Of course not" Korra threw her hands up in the air. "And that's what I said! But no- Republic City is 'too dangerous' despite the fact that I'm the Avatar, and I can handle a few street thugs."

"Of course you can." repled Roku, attempting to placate his friend. "Nobody doubts that- but you've never been to the big city. It's a far cry from the Southern Water Tribe Capital, let alone this tiny compound."

"Yes, I realize that," she continued unhappily, "but it's not like I'd be alone. I'd have Naga, and you, and probably Tenzin or some of the few hundred guards the Order likes to have follow my every move. I highly doubt safety is an issue."

"I don't know, then." shrugged the Prince. "I don't know if it's a particularly good idea, though."

"Then what do _you_ think I should do?" the Avatar asked. "Do _you_ have any 'firebender wisdom' to spout that'll help guide me?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't." he frowned. "But I do think you should do what is best for you, and don't let me or any White Lotus fellows get in your way. After all, Aang defeated Ozai when he was _twelve._ It's not like you are less of an Avatar- you're the same person, literally- so I trust you to make the best decision. And besides, it's not like you can't always consult your past lives, right?"

"Yeah, right." replied Korra in very unconvincing manner. "I should probably do that."

"Don't worry, you'll figure things out. Or things'll figure themselves out." Roku smiled reassuringly. "But I would suggest sleep first. It's a bit too late in the evening for life-changing decisions."

"I guess you're right." the Avatar gave a small laugh. "I suppose I'll see you in the morning, then."

"I suppose you will." nodded the firebender, waving to his friend as he walked back to his dormitory.

Despite all of his assurances, he was worried about his friend, worried that she may make a rash decision, and he decided to do everything he could to prevent that.

 _I guess I'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow will bring._ he thought, finally arriving back at his tiny apartment. _I just hope it won't bring bad news._

* * *

The next morning, Roku woke, washed, dressed, and ate without a single interruption. When he went out onto the sparring field, he found no trace of Korra. When the confused firebender consulted the gate guard, the man told him what he expected- that the Avatar had left several hours before on Naga, and she was not anticipated to return until later that evening.

So the Prince accepted that it would be a quiet day. The family of airbenders had left early that morning a few hours after sunrise, and since the sun tended to rise far earlier in the South Pole, Roku missed their departure. As such, he was nearly completely alone in the compound, excluding the various members of the Order of the White Lotus and Katara.

The firebender found this unexpected solitude welcome. While he enjoyed sparring and talking with Korra, he did not enjoy his repeated losses in the sparring ring, and the bruises that accompanied them. As such, he spent his newfound free time writing letters to his mother and brother. In these letters, he described the great icy mountains that loomed over the compound, the snow fields that stretched for unimaginably great distances across the land in the manner of the deserts and plains of the Earth Kingdom. His writings spoke of the natural beauty of this cold, harsh land, with its massive spires of ice and rock and its stars that shone almost every night, and the snow that came quite often and buried the land and the people in soft fluff. The Prince also spoke of his experiences, both in the Capital city, the Compound, and the land that was sparsely dotted with igloos and small houses.

Once the letters were finished and delivered to the mail man, Roku took a walk to clear his mind. He wandered across the compound, past the barracks and the mess hall, the watch towers and the obstacle course, the sparring ring and the pavilion. His feet stamped firm indentations into the deep snow, tracing his path across the frozen landscape as he meandered aimlessly about the walled enclosure. At times he felt like a caged animal, or at least some sort of prisoner, before he reminded himself that he could leave at any time, unlike the Avatar.

After drifting about the compound for what seemed like hours, the young firebender found himself coming to a stop in front of the wooden entrance to the infirmary. He shrugged, opened the large door and slipping into the building.

Sitting at one of the low tables was Katara, sipping a small cup of tea with a far away look in her eyes. She didn't seem to notice the newcomer, instead glaring intently at the far wall as though it would give her the answer to some unknown question. Quietly, not intending to interrupt anything, the wandering Prince sat across the table from the elderly waterbender, taking care not to bump the table or make any loud noises.

Despite this, the woman's apparent concentration was broken when he sat, and she turned to him, smiling in a grandmotherly fashion.

"Roku! Goodness me, I didn't see you there. I was just…" she paused for a moment, as though trying to find an adequate word to describe the trancelike state she had just been in. "...thinking. I was thinking. Now, what brings you here?"

"I'm not entirely sure." the firebender shrugged. "My feet, I suppose. I was just wandering around outside and found my way here."

"Is Korra still out?" she asked.

"Yes." he replied, frowning. "And I'm a little worried about her. I don't think she will just accept not being trained by your son, and I suspect it may lead to some rash decisions."

"Yes, I understand what you mean. Although..." she stared at the younger bender, as though she were examining him or looking for the answer the wall from before could not provide. "Would you not say that sometimes rash decisions are necessary? Without rash decisions, many things would not be as they are now, for better or for worse."

"I suppose you're right…" Roku replied, though he did not sound convinced.

"In addition to that," Katara continued, "one might argue that it's time Korra started making her own decisions, even if they are rash ones. She's certainly old enough."

"True." frowned the firebender, staring down at the knots and layers apparent on the surface of the table. "But if others have been making her decisions for her for this long, would her first solitary decisions be even more rash than the norm?"

"This is true." nodded the waterbending master. "And that's where you come in. You must ensure the Avatar's safety, and help guide her choices as best you can."

"Me?" asked Roku incredulously. "Why me? I'm just a firebender, I'm no guidance counselor! I can hardly make my own decisions!"

"Now, we both know that you're not 'just a firebender'. You're far more important than that. And besides," she smiled at him. "do you really think your purpose is just as a sparring and conversation partner for the Avatar?"

"Well, yes actually-"

"No." Katara interrupted. "Your grandfather recommended you for more than just your firebending skills. Anyone can be a good bender, but you're more than that. You're level headed. Calm. Worldly. And, best of all, you're Korra's age. She'll listen to you, unlike certain older people I could name. And you'll balance her out- be tranquil while she is infuriated, cautious while she is headstrong, defensive while she is offensive, and so on. Zuko knew what sort of person we needed, and I'd say he's lucky to have you as a grandson."

Roku said nothing. He was speechless, completely taken aback by the series of compliments. Knowing not how to respond, the befuddled firebender let silence settle over the table in the infirmary. Neither of the benders spoke for some time, instead each stared at something- Katara began staring at her wall again while the young Prince stared at Katara, as though she had just spoken in a foreign language.

After several minutes, he stuttered out a reply.

"I, uhhhh, I guess I know what you mean." he said weakly.

"No, no you don't." replied the old woman absentmindedly as she continued staring. "You will, though. Hopefully later rather than sooner, though I fear that will not be the case."

As Roku stood and moved for the door, the waterbending master called out to him one last time.

"For now, Roku, listen to Korra. Trust her, help her. She'll make the right decision."

The bewildered bender only nodded hurriedly in response to this last order, quickly opening and closing the door to the infirmary behind himself.

 _What the hell was that all about._ he wondered. _Balancing? Guiding? Calm? I'm none of those things. Either she has the wrong person, or grandfather_ seriously _overestimated me._

In attempt to ease his troubled mind, Roku made his way to the sparring ring. There he stood alone in the center of the great square of red cloth and practiced his various firebending forms and techniques.

To the uninformed observer, it would appear as though the young bender was dancing, and the fire was a mere byproduct, though this would be completely wrong- the jabs, lashes, streams, blasts, various other flame formations were all intentional and quite skillfully produced. The talented youth worked his way up in terms of the complexity and difficulty of the moves he attempted, starting with simple bolts and bursts of flame and eventually moving on to great walls and torrents of flame, scorching the flame-retardant ground and melting nearby snow.

After an immeasurable amount of time, Roku reached the final stage of his routine. At this point he was completely calm and emotionless, as tranquil and peaceful mentally as a still pool on a windless, moonlit night. It was then that he achieved his goal- lightning generation.

The creation of lightning tended to be a slow process. The young firebender had done it many times before, often at a far more rapid pace, but now he was in no rush, and as such felt no need to accelerate the separation of his internal energies. As he worked, sparks and flashes of electricity trailed from his dancing fingers, and it was as though bright streamers of colorful cloth or paper were attached to the tips of his fingers, slowly guided by their movement. After several long moments of this, Roku brought his two hands back together, and as they met he thrust his dominant hand skyward, directing the massive release of energy up into the dusky sky.

The firebender repeated the process two more times, with each attempt creating more and more powerful bolts. By the time he had finished, a small crowd of bored guards and other staff had gathered, and they all clapped once the last bolt of energy shot skyward. The talented young man said nothing in response to this, only bowing before the group, before walking slowly towards the mess hall. It was time for the evening meal, he had managed to clear his troubled thoughts, and then Roku knew exactly what he had to do.

* * *

Once the evening meal was over and Roku returned to his quarters, he began packing his things. He had no doubt that Korra would attempt to leave the White Lotus compound tonight, as she no longer had a reason to stay inside its frozen walls, and as such she would likely leave as soon as possible. Due to this, the young firebender felt the need for be quick in his packing, so he was glad that he brought little with him to the South Pole- a few changes of clothes that would be far better suited to the Fire Nation (or Republic City, for that matter), several small personal items, and money. He also took with him his thick, warm cloak, and the scarf and insulating clothes that he had been gifted upon his arrival in this cold, southern land.

As he stepped out of the dormitory, Roku headed for the animal pens, taking care to avoid anyone that might ask what he was doing or where he was going. He stopped only briefly in the mess hall, managing to steal a few of the less perishable provisions from the large, well-stocked larder that was kept behind the kitchen. He was almost seen by staff cleaning up after the meal twice, but in the end managed to leave the mess hall undetected, with more than enough food for a short trip.

It was only a short walk from the mess hall to the animal corrals. Descending into the brightly lit hollow, the young firebender constantly checked for guards, feeling more and more paranoid with every passing minute. Eventually he arrived at Naga's pen, and after finding the polar bear dog in her enclosure, quickly and quietly let himself in through the tall metal gate.

 _Naga's here._ he thought to himself. _That must mean Korra returned either while I was eating, while I was practicing my bending, or while I was packing. So she'll probably be back._

With that, Roku set his pack on the ground near Naga and sat, earning himself a curious glance from the large, white creature.

"What?" he asked, almost as if he expected a response.

The polar bear dog did not reply, likely because she was a polar bear dog, and instead set her head back down on the hard floor, accepting her new companion. After some time, the young bender settled back against his larger friend, accepting the fact that he would likely have to wait a while for the Avatar, if she even attempted to escape this evening.

 _She'll be here any minute._ he thought to himself sleepily. _What's the harm in getting a little shuteye…_

* * *

It was Naga who woke the exhausted bender from his sleep, shocking him out of his slumber by shifting and causing his head to drop painfully to the straw-covered floor. He sat up in a daze, glancing around the room as though looking for the source of his wakening. After a moment, his eyes focused on Korra, who was standing stock still and awkwardly attempting to hide the polar bear dog's saddle behind her back.

"Roku!" she began stiffly, still holding the large lump of leather. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, actually." he yawned in response, stretching and standing. "I figured you'd try to leave without me. And I can see the saddle, you aren't exactly fooling anyone."

"How did you know?" the Avatar asked, almost dejectedly, before perking up and glaring resolutely at the firebender. "You won't be able to stop me. I'm going to Republic City, whether you like it or not."

"No, no, not planning on stopping you." he held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I plan to join you. Hence the travel pack."

He indicated the cloth knapsack on the floor next to him before picking it up and slinging it over his shoulders.

"Besides, what would you do in the city without me? You'd get lost, or mugged, or scammed, or something like that." Roku gestured to the saddle, still held tightly in his friend's hands. "Now are you gonna keep staring at me like that or are you gonna help me put on Naga's saddle?"

Korra gaped at him for a moment, his attitude catching her completely by surprise, and it took her a moment to compose herself and hand him the saddle.

"But…. why?" she asked.

"Do you really think I was gonna stay back in this winter wonderland while you go off romping about the world on a series of wild and exciting adventures?" the firebender asked rhetorically. "Of course not. Besides, you're my friends, and friends never abandon each other."

"Right…" she responded guiltily. "Never abandon each other…"

"So, what's your plan?" the reinvigorated youth queried. "Blast down the gates? Melt the walls? Build a massive ice stairway and climb over the walls?"

"No." she stated firmly, regaining her focus. "None of that. Too flashy. We'll dig our way out."

"I suppose that'll be more discreet." he sighed. "But I won't be able to do much digging. I'm a firebender, remember?"

"I wasn't planning on making you do much. In fact, I wasn't planning on you coming along at all."

"Right, right. Makes sense. So, what happens when we-"

"Nice night for an escape, isn't it." called a voice from outside the kennel.

It was Katara, who had apparently quietly approached the pair while they were talking. She smiled at the Avatar before nodding at Roku, apparently approving his actions.

"I have to leave." said Korra, stepping towards the old woman. "I have to find my own path as the Avatar."

"I know you do." sighed the elderly waterbender. "Aang's time has passed. My brother, and many of my friends are gone. It's time for you and your generation to take on the responsibility of keeping peace and balance in the world. And I think you're going to be a great Avatar."

"Thank you." replied the younger of the two Water Tribe women, stepping forward to hug Katara.

"Goodbye, Korra." said the elder as she embraced her young friend, before stepping back and addressing the firebender in the room. "And goodbye to you too, Roku. Keep her safe, but don't forget to look out for yourself as well. Both of you are important, and have great shoes to fill."

"Yes, Master Katara. I will."

The young bender bowed, and then turned to mount Naga and join the Avatar in the great, brown saddle. He turned back only to wave farewell as Korra dug a hole in the ground before them and the three descended.

* * *

They emerged from the cold, snowy ground only a few meters away from a small village. With a quick twitch of the reigns, Korra ordered Naga to surge forward, taking them swiftly to one of the smaller homes on the outskirts of the town.

"My parents house." stated the Avatar simply as she dismounted and ran to the door.

The firebender decided to stay with Naga. He had no desire to lengthen their time here, and knew that introductions to the Avatar's parents, as wonderful as they may be, would drain time from their valuable head start. He knew that it would not be long before his friend's absence was discovered and knew that this would be one of the first places they would look.

So instead of joining the Avatar, he leaned back in the saddle and stared up at the great black void above him, watching as large white snowflakes swirled and spun down towards the ground. There were a few thick clouds tonight, and luckily for the two fugitive benders, the clouds served not only to drown out the bright moonlight but also to cover their tracks in fresh, newly fallen snow. The weather reminded him of shredded balls of cotton, with starlight peaking out between them, and the young bender sighed to himself, enjoying his last night in this beautiful, if a bit cold, place.

 _Lovely night for running away._ he thought to himself, idly listening to the murmurs of the Avatar's distant conversation with her parents. _With any luck, it'll buy us even more time._

Soon after that, Korra returned to Naga and Roku, ending his reverie. She pulled herself up into the saddle, gave a small wave, and the three were off again. They dashed over snow dunes and snow hillocks, throwing up bursts of snow behind them as Naga ran. Soon, Korra broke the silence.

"Now we just have to get to Republic City."

"Do you mean to tell me that you don't have an actual plan to get their?" asked the dumbfounded bender incredulously. "You got this far and you didn't think that we might need a way to cross the _gigantic ocean_ in our way?"

"I figured I'd come up with an idea when the problem presented itself." she shrugged. "Not like I planned very far ahead. I don't even have food or a change of clothes."

"What would you do without me." sighed Roku, removing his knapsack from his shoulders and setting it on his lap. "Luckily for the both of us, I have provisions, water, basic navigational aides, all those important things. And, an idea- in regards to how we get to Republic City."

"Well, don't leave me in suspense." grumbled the Avatar. "What is it?"

"The same way I got here of course!" grinned the firebender, handing his friend a dried fruit from his pack. "Captain Rikkan's incredibly punctual ferry!"

"How punctual is incredibly punctual?" Korra asked in a mildly humorous tone as she accepted the food.

"Punctual enough." stated Roku as he repacked his things and put his knapsack back on his shoulders. "We'll be there in no time."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Next stop, Republic City! I promised that this chapter would be out before the end of the week, and what do you know, I delivered. Though it took a little while to write and is mostly composed of short blurbs, I do like the end result. Didn't enjoy writing it as much as I did chapter two (I really liked that one. Don't know why, but I did), and it went longer and took longer than I planned, mostly due to personal things I had to deal with, but everything's fine now. Next chapter will likely have a short bit with everyone's favorite salty sea dog, Captain Rikkan, as well as an introduction to the big city! Should prove interesting, but I don't think I can provide a reliable estimate for when that gets published. Early next week, probably/hopefully. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and if so, remember to subscribe, favorite, or leave a review (seriously, reviews are amazing. Each and every one. I love reviews)! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Roku woke with a start, finding himself forced from uneasy dreams to consciousness in an unfamiliar place. His gaze swung round, analyzing his surroundings and searching for some familiarity, some clue as to his location. Eventually his eyes settled upon Korra and Naga, both sleeping nearby against a rather large stack of wooden crates, and he at once remembered everything.

He remembered their late night flight from the Water Tribe, dashing over dunes and drifts of shockingly white snow, and their subsequent arrival in the Southern Capital. The bender remembered catching the early morning ship to Republic City, and paying Captain Rikkan the last of his money to take them with him aboard his massive metal vessel. Then the four subsequent days, wandering about the ship searching for any source of entertainment, getting food by running errands for various crewmembers once their supplies had run out. Roku recalled sleepless and restless evenings, huddling in the pile of cloth and clothes that he had used to make a sort of makeshift bed. So had passed the last four days and nights, with each uneasy sleep ending in the same shock that he was experiencing right now.

 _Four nights and I still can't get a decent rest._ he grumbled to himself. _Four separate sleep cycles and still I'm not used to sleeping in the belly of this damned ship. Wait a minute… four days? Four nights? That must mean…_

The young firebender bolted up the narrow steps, dodging past several startled crewmembers as he rushed to the open deck above. The winding staircase was quite steep and he slipped a few times, but Roku reached the deck all the same and was greeted by one of the most beautiful sunrises he had ever seen.

To the east of the ship the sun peaked over the mountaintops, sending blinding streaks of light out across the smooth ocean and bathing the ship in the bright hues of morning. To the northwest of the mountains, in the direction the ship was currently pointed, their destination sat glimmering and flashing in the sun.

 _Republic City._ the weary traveler thought to himself. _We're finally here._

He debated waking Korra to show her the magnificent view, but eventually decided against it, reasoning that the Avatar would need as much sleep as she could get. Instead he leaned against the railing of the ship, gazing out over the shimmering bay and the city itself, adorned with harsh spires of glass and steel, bridges and roads and so many satomobiles.

It was not the first time he had seen Republic City, as he had come through the bustling metropolis on his way to the South Pole and had even visited in the past on vacations with his family, though never for long. It was certainly a beautiful city, symbolizing the progressive, technological, and more modern world that they now lived in- it was far more state-of-the-art than the old-fashioned Ba Sing Se and Capital City, and the architecture made this very obvious. Despite this, the young Prince was well aware of the presence of a far more seedier and dangerous side of the city, in addition to the presence of gangs and even anti-bending movements.

The exhausted bender did not return to his makeshift quarters below decks until nearly half an hour after he had first spotted those rays of light peaking through the mighty mountains of what was once a part of the Earth Kingdom. It was with regret that he realized that at some point he would have to wake his slumbering friend, and as such he avoided bothering both the Avatar and her polar bear dog, instead packing their things, putting on cooler clothes that would be less of a hindrance in the warmer weather, and ensuring that they left nothing behind on the ship.

By the time he had finished all of his duties, the ship was already pulling into the harbor. The great noises produced by the metal hull scraping on the pier was enough to wake Korra, and she groggily yawned before noticing Roku and speaking excitedly.

"Roku! Are we here yet?"

"We sure are." he nodded, before indicating their packed bags. "I prepared our things, now we just need to attach them to the saddle.

"Naga, we're here!" she turned to the large, slumbering polar bear dog. "Come on, wake up!"

The creature lifted its giant head and regarded the Avatar with drooping, tired eyes before shakily climbing to its feet.

"I've been up for almost an hour now." stated Roku. "I figured you and Naga would need as much sleep as you could get, though, so I didn't wake you."

"Thanks. Someone has to steer the giant polar bear dog." she grinned and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Though I don't think you could do it even if you were awake."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly confident enough in my steering abilities to contest that." grinned the firebender lopsidedly. "That'll definitely be up to you."

It was then that the massive steel cargo doors of the ship clanged open, causing a great noise to reverberate throughout the ship.

"Come on!" shouted the Avatar excitedly as she mounted the saddle, pulling her firebending friend up after her. "Let's go!"

So they went, with the slightest tug at the reins causing Naga to leap forward through the wide aperture, scattering dockhands and crewman alike as they galloped off down the pier.

"Sorry!" called out Roku to the confused and angry men and women that they were scattering left and right like leaves before an overzealous airbender.

"Thanks for the ride!" called out the Avatar as they dashed out onto the harborside walkways, dodging pedestrians left and right. The bustling city was alive and awake, and it seemed that all the new sights and smells were confusing poor Naga, who was running particularly erratically.

Eventually the stopped by the side of the water, looking out over the massive natural bay that made Republic City's location ideal. There, standing tall and proud on a natural island pedestal was a massive bronze statue of Avatar Aang, holding a mighty staff and gazing out over the water. To the west sat larger island, though it looked to be smaller due to the absence of any massive statues, with only a stubby white tower and a few other buildings visible from the shore.

"Wow, look at this place!" gasped Korra, obviously in awe of her surroundings. "I've never seen so many satomobiles!"

"Or people. Or large buildings. Or structures not covered in snow." remarked Roku dryly from behind her, though the Avatar paid him no mind. She was too busy staring out over the bay, at the statue of her predecessor and then the accompanying, smaller island.

"Air temple island." she indicated the statue-free rock. "That's where Tenzin lives."

"How are we gonna get there?" asked the firebender. "You gonna bend us an ice bridge?"

"Ready for a little swim, girl?" Korra patted Naga on the head, gesturing at the water and answering his question in one fell swoop.

Naga, however, had other ideas, and instead of jumping over the fence and into the water she turned away, following her nose and sniffing loudly as she dashed off along the waterside.

"Okay, okay!" laughed the Avatar as they galloped along. "Food first, then Air Temple!"

"Food would be lovely." remarked Roku as they ran. "But how do you plan on paying for it?"

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Pay for what?"

"For the food." frowned the firebender, thinking it was an unnecessary question. "What else would we pay for?"

"We have to pay for food?" asked Korra, who was now sounding quite bewildered. "Since when do we have to pay for food?"

"Are you telling me you've never paid for a meal in your life?" questioned the perplexed Prince.

"No!" replied the Avatar. "Is that normal here?"

"It's normal everywhere, except that tiny little compound, apparently!" answered the exasperated, hungry traveler. "We're either going to have to scrounge something up or find work and earn our food the hard way."

"Well," she sighed, "I could probably catch some fish if there we could find our way back to the ocean."

Looking around, Roku was startled to find himself in completely unfamiliar territory. The great skyscrapers surrounding them were unknown to him, with streets that had names he had never heard before and shops that he had never seen before, all crowded together and jostling for space. Naga, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content, and was now aggressively sniffing at one street vendor's friend goods, much to the consternation of the vendor in question.

"That'll be the trick, now won't it." he sighed, glancing up at the sun to gain some sort of directional bearing. "Well, south is..." he paused for a moment before indicating the direction off to their right. "...that way. If we head that way, we should get to the docks before long, or at least find a park or something with a river in it."

"Then that's the way we'll go." stated Korra, before pulling Naga away from the stand and in the direction the firebender had indicated. "Hopefully we'll find some place to get food."

Twenty minutes later the two half-starved benders were sitting on the bank of a small river that ran through one of the largest parks in the city, devouring freshly caught and cooked trout that Korra had caught using her waterbending skills. The piping hot meat was unseasoned and rather bland, but the pair found themselves enjoying the meal all the same, as it was all they had eaten since dinner the night before. It was around lunch time now, and the park was full of people, men and women going about their daily lives, eating lunch, and enjoying the break from the concrete jungle.

They had found the park after only a few minutes of riding, taking care to avoid the busier streets that only served to confuse and disorient them. The river ran swiftly through the middle of it, and it was not long before the trio began preparing their next meal- Korra fished for both herself and Roku, Roku cooked the fish, and Naga jumped into the water, catching her own meal in her large, strong jaws. The last fish had finally been gutted, cleaned, and cooked when the two benders were interrupted by the arrival of a short, disheveled looking man who wore torn, old clothes and had a rather large gap in his teeth.

"Uhh, say" began the man, his manner friendly, "think I could get on o' them tasty smellin' fishies?"

"Oh, uhhh, I suppose so, so long as my friend here doesn't mind me giving away our last one…?" replied the Avatar, ending her statement with a questioning glance at her firebending companion.

"Of course." nodded Roku encouragingly, his mouth full of fish. "There's enough for everyone."

The man grinned and did a little dance-walk towards them, snatching up the last fish from the grass before sitting. He then began to eat with gusto, chowing down on the fish like it was the first proper meal he'd had in days.

"So… do you… live in that bush?" asked Korra, indicating the bush the strange man had just leaped out of.

"Yes, presently that is what I do call home." he stopped eating for a moment, proudly pointing to the bush. "Took me a while to procure a bush that beauteous. This park is quite popular with all the vagabonds, you see, so there's quite a bit of competition."

"So… there are a lot of you, out here? I thought everyone in this city was… well, living it up." she inquired, causing both Roku and the man to chuckle at her naivete.

"You've got a lot to learn, newcomer!" smiled the vagabond. "Welcome to Republic City!"

A shrill whistle split the air, causing all three to start and stare at the source of the noise: a rather unhappy looking policeman who was now shouting and running towards them.

"Hey, you! You can't fish here!"

"You'd best skedaddle!" warned the homeless man before he jumped back into his bush.

Taking a last bite of his fish, Roku discarded the skewer it was attached to and joined Korra in the saddle of Naga, who she had summoned with a whistle of her own. They were running yet again, through the park, over small bridges and through trees until they finally lost the policeman, who had been unable to keep up with the speeding polar bear dog. Then they slowed to a slow trot, wandering through the park in the vague, general direction of Air Temple Island. They had passed a rather nice fountain, surrounded with red bricks and dotted with fallen leaves when a rather angry sounding voice cut through the early afternoon calm.

"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders?" shouted a man with a pair of some of the most impressive sideburns Roku had ever seen. "Then join the equalists! For too long, the bending elite of this city have forced non-benders to live as lower class citizens! Join Amon," he bellowed through his megaphone, "and together we will tear down the bending establishment!"

"I think it'd be best if we stayed out of this." the firebender whispered to his friend. "Don't want to stir up any more trouble than we already have."

"What are you talking about!?" shouted Korra, ignoring Roku's advice. "Bending is the coolest thing in the world!"

"Oh yeah?" the man hollered in response. "Let me guess, you're benders?"

"Yeah, we are!"

"And I bet you'd _both_ love to just knock me off this platform with some water or fire bending, _huh?_ "

"I'm seriously thinking about it." exclaimed the Avatar, angrily folding her arms.

 _That was a bad idea._ Roku thought to himself. _I don't like where this is going…_

"This is what's wrong with this city!" the man yelled, gesticulating wildly. "Benders like these two only use their power to oppress us!"

The crowd agreed, and began jeering and clamoring at the two mounted benders, much to Korra's dismay.

"What!?" she replied angrily. "I'm not oppressing anyone! You're oppressing yourselves!"

"That didn't even make sense!" scoffed the man into his megaphone as the Naga turned and walked calmly away from the crowd, stoically ignoring the ruckus.

The two benders and their polar bear dog wandered off, back into the city, and eventually dismounted so that Naga could rest. The streets were relatively uncrowded, so all three benders were able to walk abreast down the center of the road, even finding themselves unmolested by the speeding satomobiles that populated the more busy streets. They walked in silence, too exhausted by the day's events to even try to maintain some semblance of a conversation, and instead wallowed in a comfortable quiet.

"Roku, let's face it." Korra suddenly broke the silence, stopping and turning to face her friend. "We're completely lost."

"You're right." he sighed. "I have no idea how to get to Air Temple Island. What do you want to do?"

"Hmmmmm. Well, we could split up." she stated. "I'll ask someone, you ask someone, we meet back here and go from there."

"Well, it's better than nothing, I guess." the firebender frowned. "Though it's a bit unsafe. What happens if we get separated, or attacked?"

"We'll deal with it." the Avatar shrugged, patting Naga on the polar bear dog's flank. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen? We're both experienced benders, and there are people all around. We'll be fine."

"If you say so." replied the Prince, not sounding particularly reassured. "I'll go ask around in that tea shop over there, you check with a street vendor or something. We can meet back here in ten minutes."

"Sounds like a plan." nodded Korra, before walking towards one of the vendors.

Roku, in accordance with their plan, walked into the tea shop. There weren't very many people inside, with only a few patrons scattered around at a number of tables chattering quietly amongst themselves while a woman brewed tea behind a large bar-like structure. When the young firebender sat on one of the stools in front of the bar, the young attendant smiled at him and poured two cups of tea from the pot she was brewing and moved towards him.

"Sorry, Miss, I can't afford any tea." he explained apologetically. "I'm just here for directions."

"Don't worry about paying!" smiled the woman. She could not have been more than three years his senior, and Roku found that the friendly face was refreshing, a brief respite from the angry glares that had been directed at him and the Avatar alike all morning. "First cup is complementary. And," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "it gets so bored around here, I wouldn't mind a bit of conversation."

"Oh, well, I would love some tea." the traveler returned the smile as he accepted the offered cup. "Thank you. I was just wondering if you could give me directions to Air Temple Island?"

"Air Temple Island, you say?" she asked. "Why would you go there?"

"Well, uhhh..." Roku thought for a moment, trying to think of a good response. "...there's a museum there! And my friend and I are planning on visiting, but we don't know the way. We're new in town, you see."

"You're spending your time in Republic City visiting a museum?" she raised an eyebrow before chuckling flirtatiously. "My goodness, it sounds like you're both handsome and smart!"

"Uhhhh, I uhhhh…" his face reddened visibly at the unexpected compliments. "...thanks? I errr, just need to know how to get there."

"Of course." she beamed at him, sipping daintily at her tea before turning away and looking for something. "I'll write some directions down on a napkin for you."

"Erm, thank you very much." he stammered, before draining his entire teacup in one gulp.

"There you go!" the attendant turned around and handed him a napkin, which he accepted graciously before folding it and putting it in one of the many pockets on his cloak.

From outside, violent noises could be heard- the sound of earth shifting, fire flaring, and a car engine revving up. Moments later a car barreled down the street before being intercepted by a wave of stone, shooting up and launching it into the side of the building opposite the tea shop.

"Errr, I gotta go." said Roku hurriedly, standing and rushing towards the door. "Thank you!"

"Of course!" the woman called after him. "Don't be afraid to call me!"

 _Call me? What does she mean by "call me"?_ the firebender wondered before his thoughts were interrupted by shouts of "Police! Freeze where you are!" and the accompanying sound of a siren.

Rushing out onto the street, the befuddled bender found himself confronted by the sight of Korra arguing with a man clad in metal armor, whose comrades were busy tying up several shady looking men amongst the ruins of some poor business owner's shop.

"What do you mean I'm under arrest!?" shouted the Avatar incredulously. "Those were the bad guys over there, they were smashing up a shop!"

"From the looks of it, you smashed up a lot more than that." replied the police officer gruffly. He then launched what appeared to be some sort of thing metal tendril at the young woman.

"Wait, y-you can't arrest me, let me explain!" she pleaded, dodging the tendril and starting a short tug-of-war between her and the officer.

"You can explain yourself all you like, down at headquarters!" he shouted, retracting the tendril and lashing out at the Avatar with his second arm.

It was then that Naga intervened, body slamming the startled officer and allowing Korra to leap atop her saddle, where she was soon joined by the confused and startled Roku.

"What did you _do!?_ " he shouted incredulously as the polar bear dog bolted, with three metalbending lawmen giving chase.

"We had a bit of a disagreement in regards to my… methods." she shouted in response. "It didn't go well."

"I can see that!" bellowed the firebender in response, before hurling several blasts of flame at the closest policeman.

The chase continued in relatively silence, with policemen zipping along the various power lines crisscrossing the city and attempting to latch onto the fleeing benders. Korra contributed to their escape multiple times, knocking men out of the chase with blasts of ice and water. Eventually their chase brought them close to the harbor, and Air Temple Island was in sight- the pointy white tower atop it serving as a sort of beacon of safety for the two benders, though it was unable to save them. The end of the chase was signified by the great whine of a siren, issuing from an airship above them, and more tendrils shot downward. The metal cables wrapped around Naga and the two benders, lifting the great polar bear dog of her feet and binding them tightly in place as the airship turned towards the Republic City police headquarters.

 _This is bound to go badly._ Roku thought to himself, sighing defeatedly. _I just hope nobody recognizes me._

 **Author's Note:** **Well, that took quite a long time to write. Unexpectedly long, though the length of the end result was also longer than expected, so I suppose it balances out. I should probably start planning for longer chapters in the future, though, as that seems to be what the current trend is leaning towards. The story is also becoming more interesting, moving on from all that boring Southern Water Tribe stuff in the beginning and on to the more interesting bit of book 1- Republic City! We haven't even finished the first episode yet and we're already on chapter five. I suspect that this will definitely be quite the long fanfic, and whether that's a good thing or not, I'm not sure. Also, some of you will likely be wondering if our waitress friend will be a love interest for Roku- and the answer is probably not. She may reappear later on, though, and that should prove interesting for our young hero!**

 **So, that's that. Hope you liked the chapter, and if so, as always, remember to favorite, subscribe, or leave a review! Thanks to all of those who have left reviews so far, I really appreciate it, so keep it up! I like to know what y'all think of my writing, and reviews are probably the best way to receive feedback. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

About half an hour or so later, Roku found himself sitting in one of the Republic City police interrogation rooms- a meta box with a steel table and iron chairs, illuminated by a single lamp hanging from the ceiling and decorated only be the furniture and the patterns that adorned the walls. Despite the relative cold, the firebender was sweating profusely, and would likely have been fidgeting incessantly were his hands not bound to the table in front of him. To his left sat Korra, who (much to his surprise) had been brought into the same room as him.

"Stay here." the guard had ordered gruffly. "The chief'll be here to see you two hoodlums soon. Don't even bother trying to escape."

The only way into the room was metalbending, an art the vast majority of the police force was proficient in, and this banished any thoughts of escape from the young bender's mind. The Avatar had told him while they were still in the Southern Water Tribe that she had not yet learned the relatively new skill, and as such she would be as helpless as he against strong metalbenders.

So they waited in silence. Korra looked nervous, as did Roku, though the Prince suspected they were both nervous for different reasons. He suspected that his friend feared the consequences of their actions, while Roku himself was far more concerned with the fact that it was highly likely that the Chief of Police would recognize him. He only hoped that, for some reason, it would not be Chief Beifong that interrogated them, but some other, less high-ranking officer that would be less likely to recognize him. It was a fool's hope, a pipe dream, but he clung to it all the same.

 _I probably should have predicted something like this would happen._ thought the bender as regret and guilt began to seep into his thoughts. _I should never have left Korra alone, not in the big city- something was bound to go wrong. I just hope that-_

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of metal on metal, signaling the arrival of their interrogator. Looking up, the Prince felt the hope he had held on to so tightly fizzle and die like a campfire in a monsoon. Standing there before him was Lin Beifong herself, clad in metal armor and reading off a clipboard.

"Let's see," she began, "multiple counts of destruction of private and city property, not to mention evading arrest…"

She paused, before turning her gaze from the Avatar to the firebender who was currently doing his best to disappear on the spot.

"And you! Evading arrest, assault on an officer, and assisting a criminal!" the policewoman slammed the clipboard down on the table. "You two are in a whole mess of trouble."

"But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper and I had to-" began Korra before being cut off by stern, grey-haired woman.

"Can it!" she shouted, before slightly softening her tone. "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

"But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing!" persisted the younger of the two women. "It's my duty to help people! See, I'm the Avatar."

"Oh, I am well aware of who you _and_ your friend are, and your titles might impress some people but not me." replied the woman gruffly, causing Roku to flinch visibly.

"Alright, _fine._ Then I wanna talk to whoever's in charge."

This time, instead of flinching visibly, the Prince only winced internally. He knew the Police Chief, and knew that she would not take kindly to the offense.

"You're talking to her." she replied dryly, taking a seat opposite the two handcuffed benders. "I'm Chief Beifong."

"Wait, Beifong?" Korra asked incredulously. " _Lin_ Beifong? You're Toph's daughter!"

"What of it? It's not like I'm the only one in the room that's-"

She was interrupted by Roku sneezing, loudly and conspicuously, drawing the attention of both women.

"Err, sorry." he apologized quietly.

"Well then why are you treating me like a criminal?" continued Korra, obviously not noticing the very fake sneeze. "Avatar Aang and your mother were friends, they saved the world together!"

"That's ancient history, and it's got diddly squat to do with the mess you two are in right now." the Chief leaned forward. "You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!"

The sound of sliding metal drew the attention of all three inhabitants of the tiny metal room. A head peaked through, the head of one of the police officers that attended the front desk of the headquarters, and he addressed Chief Beifong when he spoke.

"Chief! Councilman Tenzin is here."

"Let him in." sighed Lin before standing and walking towards one of the wall panels behind her.

The panel slid open for a brief moment to allow the stern airbender through before closing again behind him.

"Tenzin," began Korra apologetically, "sorry, I… I got a little sidetracked on my way to see you."

"Lin, you are looking _radiant_ as usual." said the bald man after taking a deep breath and ignoring the young woman.

"Cut the garbage Tenzin." snarled the Chief of Police. "Why is the Avatar in Republic City destroying stores and running from the police with Izumi's _son?_ I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her, not sending her here with the _Prince_!"

Roku froze, his face paling significantly. He found that he could not move, only staring at his hands, cuffed as they were in front of him.

"The who!?" whispered Korra as the conversation between the airbender and the metalbender continued in front of them. "Did she just call you the _Prince!?_ "

The Prince in question said nothing. He merely continued staring at his hands like they were the most interesting things in the world.

"We'll talk about this later." whispered Korra firmly, before turning her attention back to the conversation in front of them.

"The Avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately," Tenzin said, apparently in reply to some earlier question, "where she will stay _put_."

"But-" the young woman called out before almost immediately being cut off.

"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages."

"What about the other one?" asked Lin gruffly, pointing a finger at the firebender.

His gaze jerked up and he now directed his stare at the conversing adults.

 _Now they're gonna decide what happens to me, aren't they?_ he thought. _I hope they won't send me home. Though after this mess, I doubt Korra'll want me around anyways._

"Do you want a diplomatic crisis because you imprisoned the boy second in line for the throne of the Fire Kingdom?" asked Tenzin pointedly.

"Fine." relented the metalbender, waving her hand and causing the cuffs to snap open. "Get them out of my city."

"Always a pleasure, Lin." the bearded bender turned and began making his way to the door. "Let's go Korra, and you too Roku."

The newly free benders both stood, one shambling awkwardly forward and the other glaring at the Chief of Police as they left. The inside of the police headquarters felt oddly cramped- as though the walls were closing in on the three benders, and the young royal wanted nothing more than to firebend his way out of the building, escaping its cramped confines and angry guards. Once away from the series of interrogation chambers, they moved towards the kennels. This room felt just as cramped as the halls they had passed through, with furniture that seemed far too large and decorations that all seemed just a little off. The effect was very disconcerting, at least in Roku's opinion, though he realized that his own emotions might be having an effect on how he perceived the room. He sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do about his identity being revealed to the Avatar. She knew, now, and there was nothing he could do about it beyond explaining why he had kept his parentage under wraps.

When they got to the Police Headquarter animal pens, Korra turned to Tenzin and began talking rapidly, allowing the Prince to quietly slip away, sitting at a bench within earshot of the conversation.

"Tenzin, please don't send me back home." she begged.

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus." the airbender replied unyieldingly, glaring at his father's successor.

"Katara agreed with me that I should come!" persisted the young Avatar, gesturing with her hands in order to emphasize her points. "She said my destiny is in Republic City!"

"Don't bring my mother into this!"

"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training." she continued. "Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar. I saw a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I understand now why you need to stay- Republic City _does_ need you- but it needs me too."

Roku couldn't catch what Tenzin's reply was, mostly due to the fact that the bald airbender did little more than stammer, before sighing, obviously unable to come up with a good argument. Any rebuttal that he might come up with was forestalled by the arrival of a tired looking man, leading Naga. A few short words were exchanged and the man handed the large creature's reins over to the Avatar, who thanked him and guided the polar bear dog out of the Headquarters' double doors, with both Tenzin and the firebender following closely behind.

"The Order of the White Lotus has a shipped docked at Air Temple Island ready to take you back to the Southern Water Tribe." the bald man sighed. "I've got a ship to take us there."

The ship in question was a wooden sailing ship a short walk away, and the three benders and their polar bear dog boarded silently before the vessel departed, obviously both propelled and steered by Tenzin. Roku joined Korra and Naga at the stern of the ship, and the three stood in silence for several minutes, with the Avatar staring pensively at the receding lights of the big city and her fellow traveler staring down at his hands, not wanting to look his friend in the eye.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Fire Lord Izumi's son?" she asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"I don't really know." replied the Prince after a moment's thought. "I suppose I just wanted to be judged for who _I_ am, not for who I am related to. And people treat you differently when they know you have royal blood, which is something I hate. I guess I figured if I were to head down to the South Pole and start anew, I would want to be judged by my bending skills, not by who my mother is."

"I guess that makes sense." Korra responded softly.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." apologized Roku after a long pause. "Will you forgive me?"

The Avatar turned her head, focusing on the young bender's face instead of the bright, glittering city lights. She stared at him for some time, apparently finding herself deep in thought. When that was done, she nodded once.

"Yes. I forgive you."

"Thanks, Korra."

The two young people then hugged, embracing each other briefly before turning back to their position at the bow of the ship, though both of them now gazed at the shining lights of the city.

"Republic City sure is beautiful at night, isn't it." said Roku, leaning on the ship's railing.

"Sure is." the Avatar sighed. "I don't want to leave it, not like this. It feels… wrong."

"We'll be back soon, Korra." stated the firebender. "Then we'll have plenty of time to fix this city."

The Southern Water Tribe woman glanced at her friend thoughtfully, before nodding and turning her attention back to the city.

"I hope you're right, Roku." she sighed, staring at the glittering lights, shining out against the fading of the evening light.

* * *

The boat arrived at Air Temple Island just as the sun shone its last rays over the bay in front of the city. There was a steamship waiting for them there, along with several White Lotus guards standing silently on the pier. Disembarking from the smaller wooden ship, the two young benders and their polar bear dog walked slowly and dejectedly towards what almost seemed like a symbol of their defeat. Roku's pack felt as though it were weighing him down, its weight pressing heavily on his tired shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to just relax and have a nice, wholesome meal, but it seemed as though this was an unrealistic wish.

They had made it about halfway down the dock when the three airbender children intercepted them, swooping down to greet the Avatar on traditional Air Nomad gliders.

"Korra!" they shouted in unison, obviously not noticing the somber mood of their friend.

"Are you and your friend coming to live with us on the island?" asked one of them, as they wrapped the exhausted bender in a group hug.

"No, I'm sorry Ikki." sighed the Water Tribe woman, eliciting several sounds of disappointment from the children of the airbending master. "I have to go home now."

They resumed walking, with the children returning to their father's side, as the uniform-clad White Lotus guards walked forward to greet them.

"Wait." called out Tenzin from behind, causing all three travelers to freeze. "I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it. But you are right, it has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but _you_ are his legacy. You may stay and train airbending here with me. Republic City needs its Avatar once again."

"Yes!" shouted Korra with glee, pumping her fists into the air before running forward to hug all four airbenders. "Thank you! You're the best!"

"Yes, that means you can stay too, Roku." said Tenzin, preempting the question that was apparent on the young Prince's face. "After all, the Avatar will need a sparring partner, and you seem to have done a fine job helping her get this far."

"Thank you, master Tenzin." smiled Roku as he bowed before the master airbender. "I'll do everything I can to aid in Korra's training."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Finally a chapter that didn't take me a whole week to complete. This one was pretty short, admittedly, but the action (and chapter length, probably) will likely start to pick up soon. I do realize that I tend to write shorter chapters than a lot of authors, but that's mostly because I run the risk of forgetting/losing interest/losing steam in regards to what I'm writing if I take too long between publications, so it's easier for me to publish short chapters often than long chapters that are further apart in terms of when they are released.**

 **Also, in regards to Roku's identity being revealed (and the general lack of backlash we've seen so far). I decided to write it like that because not only a) it would be VERY unlikely for Lin to not recognize a member of the Fire Nation royal family and b) conflict, at least for now, between Roku and Korra will only slow the story, without really furthering the story. It will be important in the future, though, so don't worry about that.**

 **So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, be sure to favorite, subscribe, or leave a review (again, reviews are awesome, even critical ones). Thanks for reading! (also for those of you subscribed sorry if you received two emails because of a double upload. I forgot to insert line breaks. Whoops).**


	7. Korra and Roku Meet the Bending Brothers

In the Southern Water Tribe Capital City, a biweekly boat from Republic City was arriving. The boat arrived at precisely noon at the end of every other week, delivering cargo, mail, and passengers and collecting cargo, mail, and passengers two times a month every month, weather permitting. It had done so for years now, so that it was now part of the routine for those that lived amongst the ice and snow of the South Pole. Some looked forward to it- either expecting letters or packages from friends or family living in the north or elsewhere in the world, or eagerly awaiting the shipments of various goods that were an integral part of the growing tribe's economy.

In addition to these material exports and imports, there tended to be cargo of the human kind aboard the ships- never a large amount of people, mostly just those who were unable to wait for the passenger liners that made far less consistent journeys south, with some making the trip aboard the standard cargo vessel to avoid the pricey fare associated with higher end people-transporting ships.

The boat was owned and operated by one Captain Rikkan, an older Water Tribe man who took great pride in the famed punctuality and speed of his vessel. He seemed to those around him almost like a caricature of a seasoned sailor- with a great bushy grey beard, a proud captain's hat, a long coat and a carved pipe made from the rib bone of an elephant koi. He was a harsh but fair man, subjecting himself to the same rules he expected his crew to follow and lived a simple life with no wife or children. Today the captain was going through the final motions of his biweekly voyage, calling out orders to a number of seasoned crewmen and making the last preparations that were necessary before they arrived at the harbor.

It was a routine trip, one that every crewmember aboard Rikkan's ship was familiar with, and as the mighty vessel pulled into the icy port, a figure clambered up the stairs to the bridge.

The Captain turned to face the new arrival, who bowed immediately and unnecessarily. It was a youth of no more than seventeen or eighteen that now stood before the proud owner of the boat, clad in the traditional red of the Fire Nation. His face was tinged with the faintest hint of green and he was shaking slightly, both clear indicators that this young man was not familiar with sea travel or the cold weather of the South Pole.

"C-Captain Rikkan." the youth stammered slightly despite his best efforts and the warm red coat he wore. "It has been a pleasant voyage, and I appreciate you allowing me aboard your ship at such short notice."

"No' a problem." replied the seasoned sailor, his accent thick. "Though I daresay more pleasan' fer me- the seas were mighty calm, but no' calm enough for the likes o' your stomach!"

The old man chuckled heartily, grinning at the younger passenger through his beard. The passenger in question paused for a moment, unsure of how to reply, before deciding that a simple nod would be enough.

"We'll be docking in a minute 'ere, you've got yer things?" queried the grizzled seaman.

"Yes, out by the gangway."

"Tha's good, wouldn' want ta keep y' here longer'n necessary. The men hate scrubbin' vomit offa the decks."

With this the friendly captain slapped the seasick youth on the back and went back to shouting commands at the crew, as the green-tinged face of the young man turned and walked back down the stairs he had previously come up. He headed in the direction of the cargo hold before coming to a stop beside the massive metal door that would soon open, letting in the cool air and bright sunlight of the Southern Water Tribe. He did not carry much with him, only a small knapsack with various personal items and a larger bag with warm winter clothes, all dyed the same shades of red signifying that their owner was affiliated with the Fire Nation.

Only moments after the Fire Nation youth had gathered all of his meager belongings and stood near the door, a loud clanging could be heard echoing throughout the hold of the ship, signifying that arrival was imminent and that the large cargo door would open soon. The red-clad boy stood to the side as crewmembers of every nationality and both genders rushed about the large chamber, finishing up last preparations before the end of their voyage. This went on for several minutes before a resounding thud echoed up from the stern of the ship, indicating that it had made contact with the snow covered beach and that the cargo could now be unloaded. As the massive door swung downward, the traveler stepped towards the opening, watching as it settled to the ground.

As soon as he was sure it was safe to disembark, the former passenger stepped swiftly from the bowels of the ship and onto the cold beach, greeted by the sight of the Southern Water Tribe.

It was a beautiful city, lit by thousands of lanterns and composed primarily of snow, ice, and some rock and wood- all building materials that were viable in the cold climate, keeping warmth in and the cold out. The outside temperature was only above freezing during the middle of summer, and during these warm weeks the days tended to be long, the nights short if at all present, and the houses in need of constant tending to avoid any issues with meltwater.

The sun shone bright upon the vast city, reflecting off spires and buildings, causing the massive frozen lighthouse to shine brightly, as though it were a great pillar of fire reaching up from the depths of the earth. The pier that the structure sat on was composed of stone raised up from the seabed, likely with the aid of some powerful waterbending, and had individual spokes jutting out to accommodate a vast array of vessels. It was busy at this time of year, with fishing ships hauling their life, slippery cargo, to and fro as well as other businesses- all bustling about the crowded docks. People of every nation now helped to load or unload massive crates and boxes, carrying them both to other ships or down the pier and into the city.

It was this way the young man now headed, occasionally referring to a small slip of parchment clutched in his still-shaking right hand. There were only a few words written on the paper and it would seem to the casual observer that this obviously lost boy was using the paper for directions, as he would constantly look down and unfold its well-worn creases, reading the contents before returning it to one of the many pockets sewn into his thick red cloak.

 _It should be here somewhere…_ he thought to himself, glancing at the signs above each and every building he passed, seeing some residential buildings in addition to a wide variety of shops.

 _Let's see… an apothecary, a Tailor, Shoemaker, market, and… Here!_

The traveler paused before a small, humble building distinguished only by a large White Lotus symbol above the lintel. He ducked inside, glad for the warmth given by the fire burning in the hearth a few feet away, and examined his surroundings. He was standing in a wooden room, with a ceiling that rose only a foot or two above his head and wood panelled floors and walls. There was a counter on one side of the room, the side opposite the fire, and it was attended by a bored looking man wearing the white and blue robes that the traveler knew to be standard uniform for the Order of the White Lotus, the not-quite-secret society that owned this small pseudo-embassy in the frozen city.

The disinterested attendant glanced up at the new arrival in his lonely domain and started, scrambling for the pen that sat next to him and standing ramrod straight.

"Sir!" gasped the attendant. "Y-You're earlier than anticipated, sir!"

The traveler frowned, having not expected much of a welcome at all. This level of formality was unexpected, and he wondered if there was some mistake.

"I'm not sure you've got the right per-" he began before being interrupted by other man.

"Sir, you are the one they call Prince Roku, yes?" he queried, speaking rapidly and fearfully, obviously wary of the youth's apparent royalty.

"Err, well, yes, I suppose I am, but-" The so-called Prince began, before being interrupted again.

"So sorry for interrupting you, sir!" the attendant stood at attention, managing to stiffen up even more than before. "Your transportation will arrive momentarily, sir!"

Roku sighed, dropped the larger of his two bags, and motioned for the man to relax.

"That's enough formality for now, Mr…?"

"Katsu, Sir."

"Mister Katsu. I would appreciate it if you were to avoid calling me sir in the future."

"Yes si- err, Prince Roku!" stammered the man, obviously confused by this request.

"I would also appreciate it if you were to avoid using certain titles, if at all possible. I would prefer it if my heritage were to remain, well, unknown, if possible." the incognito royal paused for a moment. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mister Roku. I understand."

"I was under the impression that you White Lotus fellows were a bit less strict with rank than normal militaries." frowned Roku. "Or was I incorrect in this assumption…?"

"No sir, errr, Mister Roku. Sorry, I'm a bit new." the guard stumbled over his words, apparently quite nervous. "I used to be a member of the Fire Nation Military, you see, and it's a bit more strict…"

"I see." said the Prince, frowning. "I know what you mean, Katsu. I of all people should be familiar with the level of formality expected from our military."

"Yes, sir. Exactly, sir. Errr, sorry for calling you sir." the man was still obviously nervous, despite the traveler's attempts to calm him. "I'll just stop talking..."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, Katsu." grinned the younger of the two men. "I will need more information about this place, about my job."

"You mean you don't know, sir…?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know what you're here for?"

"No, or at least I don't know as much as I would like." Roku sighed, taking a seat in one of the chairs near the fire and motioning for the attendant to do the same. "I was just told to go to the Southern Water Tribe, and that I would be working with the Avatar. Normally I would ask for more information, but it was a bit of a rushed decision, as my only other option was life as a Fire Sage or some sort of dignitary, or a member of the military. But none of those appealed to me, and when the option to come here came up…"

"You took it." Katsu nodded sympathetically, sitting in the indicated chair. "I understand that. Adventure and mystery and the great unknown, the appeal of traveling the world, that sort of thing. As for what exactly you'll be doing here, I suspect that you will get more information from the higher ups. I don't know much, just try to do my job, but I think it's got something to do with the Avatar not having anyone to spar with that's on her level, presumably in regards to bending. You some sort of firebending prodigy?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say prodigy," grinned Roku, "but I hold my own. I guess that would explain why it was my grandfather who told me to make the trip down here. He always had a knack for giving good advice, at least in my experience. But I was under the impression that the Avatar lives in some sort of fortress or something like that, isolated from the rest of the world. How am I gonna get there?"

"I'm afraid there are no roads, or satomobiles that can drive on snow, or any sort of motorized vehicles to take you to the Avatar's compound." replied Katsu apologetically. "Most of the trek will be on foot, weather permitting, and there will be a guide accompanying you. The compound is in the mountains to the south, not too far, though you may need to use some of those firebending skills of yours to keep warm."

There then came a knock on the door, a great rapping of fist on wood, and shouting from the outside of the small building.

"Katsu!" cried the deep, commanding voice. "Is our Fire Nation friend in there with you?"

"Yes!" called out the attendant. "I cleared all of his papers, he's the one you need to bring up to the compound!"

Roku frowned momentarily. He had not seen any papers signed, checked, or cleared. The man had merely accepted him for who he claimed to be with no real questions asked and sent him on his way.

"Good!" called the voice. "Send him my way!"

Katsu the White Lotus desk attendant gestured to the firebender, his manner far more relaxed than it had been when they had first met.

"Good luck, Mister Roku." he waved as the young bender gathered his belongings and headed to the door, back out into the cold polar air. "Remember my name if they ever ask you who around here could use a promotion!"

Outside the small snowclad building there was a large, burly man dressed in robes identical to those of his friend inside. He had a large beard, similar to Captain Rikkan's, though it had more color and revealed the muscular man to be of a far younger age.

"My name's Gopan." grunted the man. "I'll be your guide, an' take you to th' compound."

Roku only nodded, following the massive man up the winding, ice covered road. It eventually dwindled into a winding, icy covered path, that took the quiet pair up over the sprawling Southern Water Tribe capital city and into the mountains, slowly getting further and further away from civilization.

* * *

It took three hours for the young firebender and his quiet, hulking companion to reach the compound. They had seen it first about half an hour before, the two shiny guard towers flanking the massive gate and the strong snow walls that marked the perimeter of the near fortress-like collection of buildings. As they had neared those massive walls, new features gradually became apparent- the wooden watch towers surrounding the entirety of the camp, the presence of guards atop the thicker and better fortified primary turrets, and the blue carvings adorning the front of the main gate.

Roku was unfamiliar with the carvings, though he correctly assumed that they had some significance to the Water Tribe or to the Avatar, and he found himself marveling at their intricacy and level of detail.

 _Those must have taken quite a bit of time to carve._ he mused, staring up at the gates as they finally stopped, waiting for the guards to let the two in. _Most of the other more permanent fortifications are natural, or at the very least obviously made with bending. But these looked to be hand-carved; not an easy feat._

As the massive face in the center of the two halves of the gate slowly split open, Roku was swiftly ushered in, and he saw the massive face of Gopan glaring down at him in a manner not unlike that of the carving on the two doors they had just passed through.

"You're gonna want to talk to the White Lotus masters," grumbled the surly man. "They'll get you sorted out."

"Thank you." replied the incognito Prince, bowing politely to his former guide.

"Hmmmph."

Roku sighed and continued on, lamenting how ineffective his robes were when it came to keeping out the freezing cold of the South Pole. He had been forced to firebend on the previous walk in a futile effort to expel the cold, much to the apparent amusement of Gopan. He figured that he would need to swap out his apparently not-quite-warm enough robes for some of the White Lotus or local Water Tribe robes, both of which looked to be far better in terms of insulation.

As the firebender drew closer to the small wooden pavilion that Gopan had pointed him in the direction of, he began to scan his surroundings. There was some sort of wooden obstacle course to his left, full of ropes and nets and a wide variety of other contraptions. Beyond that there was a series of buildings with barracks for the guards, a cafeteria, and numerous houses that were apparently built for the more important people in the compound.

Finally passing the obstacle course, Roku was able to see a large, elevated sparring platform directly in front of his destination that was occupied by several firebenders all engaged in intense sparring, with jets of fire being hurled left and right as the three benders seemingly danced about each other.

 _That must be the Avatar,_ decided the young Fire Nation man when he saw one of the benders send her sparring partner hurling through the air with a particularly powerful burst. _They expect me to spar with someone that fast!?_

Roku continued to marvel at the spectacle before him as the Avatar swiftly dispatched the remaining firebender, jumping up and over the startled man's head to deliver a final, massive burst of flame, blasting the poor bender onto his knees. The man soon slumped over in exhaustion.

The young Water Tribe girl then cheered before running back towards the same wooden pavilion that the weary traveler was now making his way to, where she held a brief conversation with the people gathered there. He found that, as he neared the structure, he recognized only one of the bending masters there- Master Katara, and older woman clad in a thick blue parka. The others, all serious looking men and women were dressed for the most part in the classic White Lotus uniform, though there was a fifth man dressed in the red colors that Roku was most familiar with.

When the exchange between the Avatar and her teachers was over, she smiled, bowed, and ran towards what appeared to be a series of large animal pens, designed to house some large beast that Roku was likely unfamiliar with. Once she had turned away, the young firebender stepped towards the somber looking men and women cautiously, unsure as to what his next move should be.

"You there!" called out the shortest of the men assembled. "Who are you?"

"That would be our new guest." interjected Katara before the bender could speak. "Here on my invitation."

"What do you mean!?" cried out the man incredulously, glaring at the waterbending master. "Who is this boy?"

"I decided that Korra could use some companionship." she smiled. "Someone her own age, to spar with, someone that has been outside these icy walls. Someone who has seen the world."

"Then who is he?" queried the man frustratedly, glaring at the older waterbender. "And how did he get here?"

"I'll let him answer that." Katara smiled again, glancing at the newcomer.

"Err, well, my name is Roku." the firebender shifted awkwardly. "I'm not entirely clear on _why_ I'm here. The guards seemed to know who I was, though, and that's _how_ I'm here."

"There you have it."

At this point it was obvious that the old Avatar's wife was enjoying how frustrated her fellow teachers were becoming. She turned to young firebender, smiling at him, ignoring the other teachers as they began arguing amongst themselves.

"You can get started tomorrow. The Avatar is out right now, and I suspect that you'll be wanting some rest." she paused, noticed his shivering, and chuckled. "And food and warm clothes, too!"

"Thank you, Master Katara." Roku bowed, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

 _I suppose I'll have to find out._

* * *

 **Author's** **Note: So, you made it to the end of my first chapter. Great! This is the first of what I hope to be a great many chapters following the adventures of one Prince Roku alongside the Avatar (though the Avatar in question has not yet been introduced- she will be!). This is not my first attempt at writing fan fiction, but I did decide a while ago to abandon my old account, and when I felt the need to start writing again, well, I created this one. I apologize for any errors, as it is getting pretty late as I am finishing this up, but I hope you enjoyed what I have written! I cannot promise a constant update schedule, but I will try. Also, if any beta readers out there have a desire to beta-read this story, send me a message- I would love to work with you! So, if you liked the story, leave a review, subscribe, or favorite, and if you want to read more, I will likely have another chapter out within a week or so. Thanks for reading!**


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